Excelsior Correspondent
Uri, May 29: The announcement of a mock civil defence drill in the border areas has triggered panic and revived trauma among residents of Uri in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, many of whom are still recovering from the May 7 cross-border shelling that destroyed homes and forced families to flee.
In Nowpora, one of the worst-affected villages located about 9 kilometres from Uri, residents say the Government’s announcement of Operation Shield-a nationwide civil defence exercise-has rekindled fear and anxiety.
The drill, aimed at testing preparedness for enemy attacks, will include mock air raids, drone threats, blackout protocols, and evacuation procedures. “The announcement brought back the horror of May 7. We were terrified last night. We could not sleep,” Jabeena Baigum, a resident, said.
Bader Ud Din, 35, who was injured along with his son, recalled the terrifying night. “A shell hit one side of my house and exited from the other. Blood was oozing from both our heads. We ran, bleeding, and hid in a gorge until police arrived. When I heard about the mock drill yesterday, everything from that night came rushing back. That day too had started with a drill.”
Saima Bano, 36, who lost her house in the shelling, said, “My whole body trembled when I heard about the drill. We lost everything in seconds, and now we’re living like refugees at the Government Degree College for Women in Baramulla.”
The Ministry of Home Affairs has rescheduled Operation Shield for May 31, after an initial postponement. The drill will be conducted across all western states and Union Territories bordering Pakistan, including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. It will involve Civil Defence volunteers, local authorities, and NCC and NSS members.
Villagers urge the Government to construct a community bunker in Nowpora.
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