Srinagar, May 11: After four days of intense cross-border shelling and mounting fear in border villages, residents of Uri and Poonch sectors have welcomed the announcement of a “full and immediate ceasefire” between India and Pakistan.
The breakthrough, announced by US President Donald Trump late Friday night, came as a major relief to thousands living along the volatile Line of Control (LoC).
The ceasefire followed five straight days of heavy shelling that had displaced dozens of families and inflicted damage on homes, schools, and livestock in border villages.
The escalation had sparked fears of a broader military confrontation, prompting international concern.
Ghulam Nabi Dar, a 62-year-old farmer, a local from Hathlanga village of Uri, the announcement brought a collective sigh of relief to border villages. We were living in terror every night,” he said.
“The shelling was so intense we had to flee to a nearby community bunker with our children and relatives. If this ceasefire holds, it will save lives. Pakistan attacked civilian areas and termed it as unfortunate,” he said.
Aamina Bano, a schoolteacher from Uri town, said the recent decision has rekindled a sense of hope.
“Schools were shut, fields lay deserted, and we lived in constant fear, day and night. Our only wish now is for this peace to hold,” she said.
Recalling the terrifying days, Aamina said that it felt like war had arrived at our doorstep. Every night, we heard the whistling of shells overhead, one even landed just 50 meters from my house. War solves nothing, peace is progress.”
She said her family fled to Baramulla, seeking shelter with relatives. “We left everything behind. One of our family members was killed in the crossfire,” she said.
In Poonch city, where mortar shells damaged several houses two days ago, residents shared a similar sentiment.
“These past four days felt like a war zone. We are grateful to those who helped stop this. But we have seen ceasefires break before, we believe it when we see calm a few more times,” he said.
Tariq Ahmad Chowdhary, a father of three children from Poonch city said that the fear was so intense that they didn’t sleep for three nights.
“Even the sound of a thunderclap made us duck. My youngest daughter stopped speaking since Tuesday and she has not uttered a word, she added.
Choudhary said that even four days of shelling can turn lives upside down. If peace can return through dialogue, we will welcome it with open arms, he added.
Mohammad Yaqoob, a 52-year-old farmer from a village near the LoC, said the return of silence across the border feels surreal. “For days, the fields echoed with explosions instead of the rustling of wheat and the call of birds,” he said.
“We could not step outside without fearing for our lives. Even the cattle were terrified, some ran off into the forests and never returned. It was not just our land that was scarred; it was our minds too,” he said.
Yaqoob’s family had to sleep in makeshift bunkers dug behind their home. Imagine trying to reassure your children in the dark, while the ground trembles beneath you. That’s not a life, it is survival.
“Now that there is a pause in shelling, we are cautiously hopeful. But after what we have seen, it is hard to trust peace when it comes without warning,” he added.
Over the past 4 days, several houses in the border areas were damaged, with shattered windows, blown-off roofs, and charred walls a common sight.
Temporary shelters were set up in school buildings, and ambulances were kept on standby throughout the day and night.
Meanwhile CM Omar Abdullah on Saturday said they will start assessing property damage and make arrangements for displaced families to return to their homes.
“Schools in affected areas are expected to reopen early next week, depending on the security situation,” he said.
Life inches back to normalcy in Kupwara as shops open
After the recent understanding between India and Pakistan led to a pause in cross-border shelling, the local Reddi Chowkibal market in north Kashmir’s Kupwara reopened on Sunday after a week-long closure. Local shopkeepers and residents have appealed to the government for bunkers and compensation, citing repeated damage and risks faced during such incidents.
Speaking to ANI, a shopkeeper, Naseer Ahmad said, “First of all, I thank Allah that He has dealt with this big trouble. We got rid of this big problem. It is heard that the firing has stopped.”
He added that the local market had been closed for seven days due to shelling. “People lost their lives in the night; when they heard that the firing stopped, they were very happy,” he said.
He asserted that while the market had reopened, significant damage had already been done to the shops and the surrounding infrastructure.
“Shelling has also taken place in this market of ours. There are many shopkeepers whose shops have shells, whose shops are completely damaged. You must have noticed that the shutters are broken in front, the stuff inside is completely broken,” he said.
Calling the market vital for the livelihood of the residents, Ahmad emphasised the need for safety provisions. “We have appealed to the government many times that we suffer losses here, and there is a lot of damage due to cross-border shelling. Bunkers should be given to us and give us something for our safety,” he said.
He added that most of the residents are from the middle class and lack the means to relocate during conflict. “We are middle-class people. We don’t have enough income to go from here to Srinagar or in any city to find a place to rent,” he said.
Another local shopkeeper said that the reopening of the market brought immense relief to the residents.
“Today, after about six days, our market is starting to open up a bit. We have breathed a sigh of relief,” he said.
He expressed how the shelling had forced residents to abandon their homes and relocate. “Our lives were completely useless. With this shelling, we left our homes and shifted to another place,” he said.
He said that many people, including children and patients, had suffered during the displacement. “Some patients are heart patients, some are children, some are elderly.”
He, too, urged the government to set up protective bunkers.
Both shopkeepers appealed for consistent government intervention to secure their lives and livelihoods. “Today we appeal to the whole community that this happiness remains intact forever,” Ahmad said.
Meanwhile, India said on Saturday that Pakistan has violated the understanding reached between DGMOs of the two countries on stoppage of firing and military action and that the Indian Army is retaliating and dealing with the border intrusions.
At a special briefing, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that this is a breach of the understanding arrived at on Saturday and that India takes “very serious note of these violations.”
India called upon Pakistan to take appropriate steps to address these violations and deal with the situation with seriousness and responsibility. (ANI)
