BY: Praveen Kumar
Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, visited Poonch district near the Line of Control (LoC) on Saturday to meet families and school children impacted by recent cross-border shelling by Pakistan.
The visit, marked by tight security due to the region’s proximity to the LoC, comes amid heightened tensions following India’s Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
Rahul interacted with students of Christ School
Gandhi interacted with students at Christ School, one of the institutions affected by the shelling, offering words of encouragement to children grappling with the trauma of violence.
“Don’t worry… everything will come back to normal. Your way of responding to this problem should be that you study really hard, you play really hard, and you make lots of friends in school,” he told the students, emphasizing education and resilience as pathways to recovery.
27 people killed in Shelling on May 8 & 10
The shelling, which occurred between May 8 and 10, killed 27 people, including 15 civilians, and injured over 70 across Poonch and Rajouri districts, damaging homes, schools, and religious sites.
The Congress leader, accompanied by senior leaders of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, also visited Gurudwara Shri Guru Singh Sabha, a Masjid, and a Mandir in Poonch, reflecting his commitment to fostering unity among diverse communities.
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The Gurudwara, among other structures, sustained significant damage during the Pakistani shelling, which targeted civilian areas and religious sites, including the homes of two Christ School students who lost their lives.
Gandhi met with families of the victims, expressing solidarity and advocating for robust rehabilitation efforts. The Jammu and Kashmir government, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in alliance with Congress, has announced Rs 10 lakh ex gratia for the kin of those killed, with the Central government promising jobs and assistance for affected families. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has prioritized rehabilitation, including the construction of bunkers to protect border residents.
Gandhi’s second J&K visit since Pahalgam attack
The visit, Gandhi’s second to Jammu and Kashmir since the Pahalgam attack, drew mixed reactions. Posts on X praised his empathetic outreach, with some users calling it a sign of “sensitive leadership,” while others questioned its political motives.
Chief Minister Abdullah welcomed the visit, appreciating political leaders’ efforts to connect with affected communities.
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The shelling followed India’s precision strikes under Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, including Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba bases. Pakistan’s retaliatory strikes on civilian areas, including schools and religious sites, have displaced thousands to government-run relief camps. India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to halt the military confrontation after four days of intense cross-border exchanges.
