Ceasefire Must Hold, People Want Peace: Omar Abdullah

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday accused certain TV channel anchors of warmongering and said that while sitting in far-off places like Noida and Mumbai they wanted the ceasefire announced by the Director-Generals of Military Operations (DGsMO) of India and Pakistan on Sunday to break.

Identifying himself with the sentiment of the border residents, the Chief Minister said: “The border residents want the ceasefire to continue but the anchors of some TV channels sitting at far off Noida and Mumbai don’t like it (ceasefire). The people who live near the border, the LoC and those living in Srinagar and Jammu who also saw the situation (taking a dangerous turn) this time have a strong desire for peace and want continuity of truce.”

Abdullah who was speaking with reporters during a visit to Karnah-Keran area in frontier district of Kupwara to assess the damage caused by the last week’s cross-LoC shelling, said that many people he met wanted the government to construct household-level shelters in the villages falling in proximity of the de facto border. He said that since it was a fervent demand of the people living in other border areas of J&K as well, he would promise that his government will in this connection outline a scheme and forward it to the Centre for its approval.

He said, “There are community bunkers there but, for quite some time, the need to use them did not arise. New bunkers have not been built for years. Since people want individual bunkers to come up specially in the areas situated near the border, we will devise a scheme and send it to the Central government.”

The government had constructed hundreds of household-levels and village-shared shelters capable of accommodating multiple families between zero to three km from the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) or Jammu-Sialkot border when the facing armies would, prior to the two countries renewing the November 2003 ceasefire agreement in February 2021, routinely engage in skirmishes. During the past week’s Pakistani shelling, many border residents took refuge in these shelters, often referred to as ‘bunkers’, wherever these exist.

However, the residents of the border areas like Uri, Keran-Karnah and Poonch have complained that it was because of the absence of sufficient household level and village-shared shelters or bunkers that they suffered heavy casualties -more than two dozen killed and over sixty injured in the escalation which lasted for four days and also left a trail of destruction at many places. Mr. Abdullah acknowledged the importance of such bunkers, saying, “These structures are a lifeline during times of escalation. We will ensure the construction of additional bunkers to safeguard our people living in vulnerable areas.”

During his visit, the Chief Minister took an extensive tour of frontline villages including Tangdhar, Hajinard, Nachiyan, Shamspora, Baghbela, Batpora, and Tarboni to assess the damage to residential structures and listened to the grievances of the affected families. Assuring the administration’s support to them, he said, “The affected families have shown remarkable courage in the face of adversity. Their resilience is inspiring. The government stands shoulder to shoulder with them. Their pain will not go unnoticed, and every possible step will be taken to help them rebuild their lives with dignity and renewed hope.”

He also promised steps that would ensure the safety, support, and swift rehabilitation of affected families and said it was the government’s “top priority.” During his visit to the sub-district hospital at Tangdhar, he reviewed the availability and quality of healthcare services in the border area.