Ignored By Govt, Villagers Along Line Of Control Make Their Own Bunkers

Three days ago, a splinter from the cross-border firing pierced the foot of eight-year-old Rabia Bano, leaving her mother Naksha Begum in a muddle. “My daughter will die. Please do something for us,” the mother cried for help.

The cross-border shelling, which spiked after August 5 when the Centre revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, has been giving sleepless nights to over 4,800 families in 40 villages along the Line of Control (LOC) in Uri tehsil. In absence of any help from the government, the families, who have been living in constant fear, have started building their own bunkers.

“The shelling begins at any time of the day, injuring our family, damaging our houses and killing our cattle. We have been demanding bunkers from the government but to no avail,” said Naksha Begum of Mothal village.

The sarpanch of Charunda village, Lal Din Khatana, said the cross-border shelling has claimed the lives of over 17 people and left 22 injured since 1990.

“We have been demanding for underground dugouts for safety. We had approached sub-divisional magistrate as well as deputy commissioner but there was no help from them,” he said.

Uri sub-divisional Magistrate (SDM) Reyaz Ahmad Malik said the authorities have sent a proposal to the government last month in this regard. “We are expecting approval anytime in the coming days,” he said.

In September, three mortars were dropped, of which two blasted on the premise of a primary school in Fatawali of Nambla village.

A similar case was witnessed in October at a primary School Kareri Thapla in Balkote village. There are 14 schools near the Line of Control.

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