Cross-Border Shelling Disrupts Weddings: Sudden flareup has marred dozens of weddings in villages along the International Border in Jammu with many forced to make last-minute changes to some rituals as well.
In the case of Ishant Saini and Sangeeta’s wedding, a majority of the guests left the feast amid heavy shelling by Pakistan in the R S Pura sector.
The cross-border shelling and firing by Pakistan Rangers, the first major ceasefire violation since 2021, started around 8 pm Thursday in the Arnia area and lasted for around seven hours.
A BSF jawan and a woman were injured in the Pakistani firing, while several houses were damaged by the shelling, officials said.
Ishant Saini’s brother Deepak told PTI, “We are feeling sorry for the guests who left in panic without enjoying the feast after being informed about Pakistani shelling in our village.”
He said that they had to make last-minute changes to some of the marriage rituals as well.
“As per our tradition, the ‘phere’ was supposed to be performed at the bride’s house. But since it is located near the zero line, we decided to perform this important ritual at this venue as well,” Deepak told PTI at the marriage hall.
“This is the time for harvesting paddy. But the Pakistani firing forced the labourers to flee. It is after a gap of four to five years that our village came under (mortar) shelling from Pakistan,” said Deepak Choudhary, a local of Nai Basti village.
He said that at least half a dozen shells landed in the village, leaving her relative Rajni Bala injured. She is now undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu.
The house of Pawan Kumar of Buley Chek village near the zero line also suffered damage due to the explosion of a mortar shell.
“We had forgotten about the cross-border shelling… now we are in panic as the underground bunkers are not in proper condition,” he said.
Vijay Kumar, a soldier who had come to his village on leave said, “We had to leave our village as we cannot take shelter in underground bunkers which have not been used for a long time. How long will we tolerate shelling from Pakistan?”
He said since this is the season of weddings, people initially took the sound of firing as the bursting of firecrackers but as the intensity grew, they fled for safety.
Highlighting the need for upkeep of the underground bunkers, Vijay Kumar said these have turned into dens of snakes and poisonous insects.
These shelters must be cleaned immediately and must have an electricity supply, he said.
Rupali Devi, who along with her husband also left their village, said all the people residing in the border areas do not have access to underground bunkers.
“We have not thought of a situation where we have to leave our homes again. While I am outside the village, many of my family members are there. Thankfully they are safe,” another local Sohan said.
Students Take Class In Bunker
In the aftermath of a major ceasefire violation by Pakistan, a group of students from a government middle school near the border town of Arnia on Friday attended classes in an underground bunker built in its complex.
According to the school management, the decision to hold temporary classes inside the bunker in Suhagpura, one of the last villages two kms from Arnia town, was taken this morning to address the concern of the parents following heavy shelling by Pakistan last night.
“The school falls within the range of Pakistani shelling and most of the 50-odd students did not turn up in view of the tense situation. However, those who did were accommodated inside the underground bunker within the school premises,” Anju Seth, a teacher from the school, said. In all, 15 students took classes in the bunker.
She said the school got numerous phone calls from panic-stricken parents since morning. “We told them that it was their call whether they wanted to send their wards to the school, and that the management had decided to hold the classes in the bunker for the safety of the students for the time being.”
Sethi said the government has built underground bunkers for the border residents for a purpose and “we are using the facility for the benefit of the children.”
Himankshi Devi, a class 8 student, said her family decided to move to a safer place after the heavy shelling by Pakistan.
“We were frightened by the shelling but I motivated them to stay back. I want to attend my school otherwise my studies will get impacted,” she said, adding, “my fear was gone when I reached the school and our classes shifted to an underground bunker.”
Her classmate Shravan Kumar, who wants to be a soldier, said he will continue to go to school, come what may.
“Ceasefire or no ceasefire, life on the border will continue, so we have to adjust with the situation and ensure that we do not miss our classes,” he said.
Nidhi, also a class 8 student, said she wants to join the police force and staying home serves no purpose.
“We used to attend our classes in underground bunkers some five years back when there were frequent ceasefire violations. We have enjoyed peace on the border since and hope there is no more firing so that we can attend our classes normally,” she said.
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