R S Pura: With tensions escalating along the Indo-Pak border and fears of a war looming large, border villagers of Jammu are urgently appealing for the repair and completion of pending construction work of border bunkers that serve as their only shield during cross-border shelling.
The recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives of tourists, has shattered the fragile peace brought about by the 2021 ceasefire agreement.
As anxiety surges in border villages, residents say the “deteriorating state” of bunkers has left them vulnerable.
Located just 500 metres from Pakistani posts, villages like Chandu Chak — which has previously endured shelling in 2020, 2018, and 2014 — have a handful of bunkers, many of which are incomplete or unusable.
“Most bunkers are in ruins. There is no electricity, no water, no toilets — some even lack roofs,” said Suchet Singh, a resident of Chandu Chak.
“They were left unfinished two years ago. We don’t know why the work stopped,” he added.
Built under the Narendra Modi government’s initiative to provide safety for border dwellers, many bunkers have fallen into disrepair due to poor maintenance and oversight. Singh added, “These bunkers have saved lives before, but in their current condition, they can barely protect anyone.”
Paramjeet Kour (56) pointed to a half-built bunker in her village and asked, “Where will we take our children and livestock if shelling starts again? We are poor. The government must complete this bunker immediately.”
Young residents share the same fear, seeking intervention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Manjoot Choudhary, a class six student, said, “Modi ji should fix our bunker’s roof. I have seen the shelling before — it is very scary.”
The psychological toll is evident too among border dwellers as they fear that a war is imminent. “We can’t sleep at night. Every sound terrifies us,” said a resident.
“We have lost family members before. The fear is constant. Farm life, too, has been disrupted. Our fields lie abandoned. No one dares to step out due to the fear of shelling,” said Jaspaul, another villager.
Many villages along the International Border — including Jorafarm, Mahashe-de-Kothe, Bulla Chak, Mangu Chak, Abdullian, Korotana Kalan, Pindi, Kotli Shah Doula, Pindi Charakan, Sai, and Treva — are raising similar concerns, urging the government to expedite bunker repairs.
According to officials, 7,923 bunkers (6,964 individual and 959 community) have been completed so far in Jammu division. Work is still ongoing on 9,905 more bunkers under various stages of construction. The sanctioned number includes 13,029 individual and 1,431 community bunkers, designed to shelter eight and forty people, respectively.
In some areas like Arnia, residents have taken preparedness into their own hands. Located five kilometers from the International Border (IB), Arnia town, with a population of over 18,500, resembled a ghost town in 2020 and 2018 with only a few people and some policemen left in its adjoining hamlets to take care of animals and guard houses following heavy shelling.
“We have 50 individual and seven community bunkers here. Power has been restored, and they are stocked with rations,” said local Sunil Choudhary. “We are ready for any eventuality,” he added.
But along with fear, anger is brewing.
“The Pahalgam attack was a massacre. Pakistan must pay for it. We want a strong response from the Modi government — enough is enough,” Choudhary added.
Balbir, another resident, echoed this sentiment. “We have harvested our crops early. Our bunkers are ready. But now we want action, not just protection,” he said, adding that India must give a befitting reply to Pakistan so that it does dare again to do such acts again.
As the border heats up, these frontline villagers — living under constant threat — are demanding both safety and action against Pakistan.
