J&K border residents hit by double whammy of COVID-19, Pak shelling

With the threat of coronavirus looming large and intense shelling by Pakistan, villagers living along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir are struck between the devil and the deep sea.

For the last month, Pakistan has targeted villages and army posts along the LoC and IB in the union territory killing and injuring several people besides damaging more than two dozen houses.

While several attempts were made by infiltrators in the last few days to enter India along the LoC in Kupwara, Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu region with Pakistani army providing cover fire to them.

There is heightened fear in the villages under the three districts especially after three civilians were killed last week in Kupwara due to shelling by Pakistan.

"I was seriously injured in the shelling by Pakistan On one side we are fighting to save our families from the threat of coronavirus and on the other they (Pakistan) are targeting us in our houses," Showkat, a resident of village Kasba in Poonch district said.

"We are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, he added.

Corroborating his views, Balakote resident Mumtaz Bibi said the villagers have urged the administration to build bunkers for them but their plea seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

We had demanded that bunkers be built so that we can save our families from Pakistan shelling. We met district officials but nothing has been done yet. Three shells hit our houses recently and we narrowly escaped," she said.

"We can still save our families from coronavirus by following all guidelines but how do we protect ourselves from mortar shells? asked Mumtaz who said that her home had been totally damaged due to shelling.

However, a district officer said the process of setting up bunkers along the LoC in all the border districts had been initiated sometime back but the due to the coronavirus pandemic, work had to be stopped.

"We will ensure that bunkers are built for people living along the LoC," he said.

Shahzad Malik, a social worker active in the border belt of Rajouri-Poonch said people living along the LoC and IB in Kupwara, Rajouri, Poonch, Samba and Kathua districts are a terrorised lot and in trouble.

"The border situation is very tense and along with people, hundreds of animals have been killed We want the shelling to stop. The coronavirus outbreak has only added to the woes of the people," he said.

Anwar Din of Keran village said: "We want to urge Pakistan and India to stop the shelling. We are fighting the COVID-19 epidemic. Let us allow us to live in peace in this hour of crises."