news details |
|
|
| Amid continued shelling, demand for bunkers gets louder | | Perpetual fear affects mental health of Uri villagers | | Early Times Report
uri, Oct 15: Living under perpetual fear of losing a limb and their house and hearth to cross LoC shelling, scores of villagers in Uri sector Monday demanded construction of bunkers on priority basis.
Rafiq Ahmad of Churanda village has relatives in a Rajouri village. "They have got bunkers and therefore live in peace even when the Indiana and the Pakistani armies trade fire," he said adding the authorities promised lot but delivered nothing on the ground. "We desperately need bunkers for our survival," he said.
He said the continued shelling especially for the past one month has affected every aspect of life here. "Threat of falling prey to a stray shell fired from across the LoC always haunts us. Our social functions including marriages have lost their liveliness to the fear," he said.
Abdullah from Kamalkote expressed similar concerns. "Daily shelling has hampered our farming and cattle rearing on which we depend," he said.
Abdullah, however, is more concerned about human life, which according to him, remains endangered in view of the shelling.
Abdul Rashid from Tilawari while expressing dismay over failure of the authorities to construct bunkers in the area said: "For our survival and well being, we have decided to go for bunker construction on our own. We will raise money by selling our cattle," he said.
The shelling, villagers said has not only harmed them physically but their mental health has also been affected. "People especially women are showing signs of depression. We have to get anti-depressants for them from the town. The drugs are not helping much. We immediately need counselors," he said.
Pertinently the demand for the bunkers is not new. The villagers have been seeking it for the past one decade and the authorities have repeatedly promised it. However, till date nothing has moved. The LoC skirmishes have claimed several lives in the past one decade and left many persons maimed. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
