India-Pakistan tensions: Life getting back to normal, schools set to reopen in JK’s Rajouri

Amid the India-Pakistan tensions, schools and colleges around the border region are slowly getting back to normal. On Monday, 19 May, Rajouri district, which lies in one of the most critical areas of the valley, announced the resumption of schools after being closed for days because of cross-border shelling by Pakistan. As reported by ANI, all the schools in this region were closed for the safety of the students and teachers as a precaution during the cross-border firing. Considering that now the situation is improved, the authorities have allowed classes to start again. The visuals showing students going back to their schools and people returning to their daily lives is something that people in the valley have been looking for for quite some time. However, it has been said that the administration is still watching the situation very carefully to keep students and staff safe. Following the ceasefire agreements between the two nations on May 10, life is gradually returning to normal in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir. Although caution and fear persist, the locals are now getting back to their usual routine. Residents of Rajouri, who faced immense hardships due to intense cross-border shelling, are slowly stepping back into everyday life. Speaking to ANI, Neeras Sin, who is a local hotel worker, said that, When the shelling started, we closed our shops and went home. Even now, we shut shops by 4 or 5 pm and return early in the morning. Earlier, we used to open around noon, and customers would come in regularly, but footfall is still very low. Furthermore, he added that although our lives are slowly getting back to normal, a sense of fear continues to linger. He added, Schools and madrasas are still closed. Children have been sent back from the madrasas. The market is not yet back to normal, he said. Another resident, Khalilur Rahman, mentioned that while the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan has brought some relief, uncertainty still wanders around Shops have opened, and essential goods are being bought, but people are still scared. Theres hope that if the atmosphere remains peaceful, normalcy will fully return. He further added that despite the situation getting better, financial strain is still a major concern in this region. Middle-class families who earn and eat daily are struggling. For such people, this kind of instability is very difficult. In times of shelling, everything collapses. For people who earn during the day and eat at night, survival becomes very hard, he added. An 85-year-old resident from the border area of Rajouri shared his emotional appeal for peace. I have lived through the wars of 1947, 1965, and 1971, but Ive never seen such terrifying shelling in my lifetime. We just want to live without fear. People have started opening their shops again, but the fear still lingers in our hearts. Labourers have left, work is halted, and children are unable to attend school. Only peace can bring life back to normal here, he said. Meanwhile, Ravi Ahmed, who works for a road and bridge construction company, expressed to ANI that, When the shelling started, workers left. Labourers from outside, including Bihar, havent returned yet. Work on the canal bridge is still suspended. He also added that although only a few shells landed in the area, fear pushed many to leave. I had gone home too. Ive returned, but the labourers havent. Until they come back, work cant restart. Operation Sindoor was Indias decisive military response to the terror attack on April 22 in Pahalgam. Operation Sindoor, which began on May 7, resulted in the killings of approximately 100 terrorists linked with terror groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. However, after the attack on terrorists on Pakistani soil, they retaliated with cross-border shelling across the Line of Control and Jammu and Kashmir, as well as attempted drone attacks along the border regions, prompting India to launch a coordinated attack that damaged radar infrastructure, communication centres, and airfields at 11 Pakistani air bases. Following the scenario, on May 10, an understanding of the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan was announced, and since then the situation has looked a bit calmer and more peaceful. (With ANI inputs)