Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday assured every possible help to rebuild homes of people affected by Pakistani shelling near the Line of Control, and said “the pain of my people is deeply personal”.
Abdullah, who visited the shelling affected areas of Uri, including Salamabad, Lagama, Bandi and Gingal in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, also said that he would take up the demand for building individual bunkers in these areas with the Centre.
“It is our responsibility to provide you help from the government so that your houses are rebuilt,” Abdullah, who was accompanied by his advisor Nasir Aslam Wani, MLA Uri Sajad Uri and senior officials of the district administration, said while interacting with the families whose houses were damaged by the shelling in Uri.
The chief minister said the people of Uri have endured pain several times but have risen every time with courage and resilience.
“Visited shelling affected areas of Uri including Salamabad, lagama, Bandi and Gingal. This land has endured so much –from the impact of the 2005 earthquake to the pain of cross-border shelling. Yet, its people rise every time, with courage in their hearts and resilience in their spirit,” Abdullah said in an X post.
In an earlier post, he said the pain of the people of Jammu and Kashmir “is deeply personal”.
“Heading to Uri today to meet those affected by the recent shelling. Over the past few days, I have witnessed immense pain, loss and unimaginable courage of our people. These visits should have been to share joy and to speak of development, not to offer condolences. The pain of my people is deeply personal,” he said.
Later, speaking to reporters in Uri, Abdullah said during the shelling from the Pakistani side, it seemed there was a “deliberate attempt” to inflict maximum harm on the civilians.
“There was ruthless shelling on our civilian areas for 2-3 days. It seemed that there was a deliberate attempt from across to inflict maximum harm on the civilians. Thankfully there was a ceasefire and for the last two days, the border and LoC are silent,” he said.
The chief minister said the government now attempts to reach all those households that have suffered losses.
“We are assessing the damage and will provide relief to them to help them to rebuild their lives,” he said.
Asked about the preparations for such incidents in future, Abdullah said he would take up the demand for building individual bunkers in the shelling-affected areas with the Central government.
“Wherever I went, be that in Jammu or Kashmir, there is a demand for more bunkers. The people feel that the situation can turn anytime, so the people have demanded individual bunkers.
“We will immediately provide relief to the people first and then take up the issue of individual bunkers with the Centre under a plan for all the areas that came under shelling,” he added.
To a question about whether anyone benefitted from cross-border shelling, Abdullah said this question should be asked to those who lost their loved ones.
“What benefit? I have said this from day one that we did not start this fight. Our innocent people were attacked in Pahalgam, 26 precious lives were lost.
“I had said that if the guns fall silent on that side, then the guns on this side will automatically fall silent. Thankfully, the DGMO from across the border called and the ceasefire was made possible and so there is silence on the border and LoC,” he added.
During the visit, Abdullah also met the family members of Nargis Begum who lost her life in the shelling.
“Met the family of Nargis Begum, who lost her life in the recent shelling in Uri. No words can express the depth of their grief or the magnitude of this tragedy. I pray they find the strength to bear this irreparable loss. We stand with them in this hour of grief,” the CM said on X.
The chief minister has been visiting the shelling affected areas of the Union Territory to take stock of the situation, get a first-hand account of the losses suffered by the people, and share their pain. (With additional inputs from PTI)
