The residents of border areas in Jammu and Kashmir remain hesitant to return to their homes despite the recent ceasefire understanding between India and Pakistan, fearing fresh hostilities and citing a lack of adequate bunkers for protection.
The four-day military standoff, which erupted on May 7 following India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ against terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), forced thousands to flee their homes in towns such as Uri, Rajouri, Poonch, Akhnoor, and Naushera.
The intense conflict, which included artillery and air strikes, was triggered by a retaliatory Indian strike after the killing of 26 people, mostly tourists, in a brutal attack in Pahalgam on 22 April.
Krishan Lal, a 50-year-old tailor from Kashmir, who has been staying in a government shelter for nearly a week, said he is eager to return to his village but remains apprehensive. "I am desperate to go to my village because each day I don't open my shop, I lose money," he told AFP. However, he added, "But the word on the street is that the war is not over."
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Many residents share his concerns, especially after reports of drone sightings in some parts of Jammu and Kashmir, just hours after the ceasefire was announced on 10 May. India strongly condemned the ceasefire breach, further heightening the anxiety of those already displaced.
Pardeep Kumar, 31, from Kotmaira village, which came under artillery fire just hours after the ceasefire was declared, said, "People had come back thinking it was safe now." He added, "But now we know better."
The lack of secure shelters remains a significant deterrent for many. "We request the government to construct more bunkers because we don't feel safe otherwise," said Akshay Kumar, 30, a resident of Naushera. He noted that even areas previously untouched by conflict were hit this time, deepening mistrust towards Pakistan. "We cannot go back until there's absolute certainty that we'll be safe," he said.
For others, the devastation is more personal. Nirta Kaur, 52, from Mankote village near Poonch, was forced to flee after a shell destroyed part of her home. "Who knows what is left of it now? But I will have to, one day or another," she said.
Authorities have urged residents not to rush back until the affected areas are fully sanitised and cleared of unexploded shells. "We are being cautious about places within one to two kilometres (0.6 to 1.2 miles) of the border," a senior official in Jammu told AFP.
The recent surge in hostilities, which targeted multiple border states including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Rajasthan, saw intense strikes on air bases and other strategic points. While most of these attacks were thwarted by Indian forces, the sudden escalation has left border residents uncertain about their future.
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