Border conflicts traumatising people, we want permanent peace: Local MLA

BARAMULLA — The May 10 ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan has brought relief to this area located near the Line of Control (LoC), but the cessation of fighting should be permanent and not temporary, says Sajjad Shafi, who represents this trouble-torn area as a Member in the J&K Assembly.

The doctor-turned-politician lamented that for decades, the inhabitants of Uri had suffered physically and mentally because of the oft-repeated armed conflicts between India and Pakistan.

Even the recent cross-border shelling and firing have left the residents of this border area traumatised and fear-struck, the MLA told UNI in an interview here.

He said over 50,000 people were evacuated from Uri after intense cross-border shelling by Pakistan began on May 8 and around 500 houses were damaged.

Many border residents are still grappling with the mental scars of displacement and violence, he said.

Such is the trauma, he said, “When I asked the children at a relief camp if they wanted to go back home, they clung to me and said, ‘we don’t want to return.’”

It was “heartbreaking” and “one of the most haunting memories from the recent Indo-Pak border tensions, one that will stay with me forever,” the lawmaker said.

“The most painful memory is hearing that someone was martyred or injured, and the cries of children leaving their homes in terror,” he said.

Appealing for permanent peace between India and Pakistan, the MLA highlighted that war brings only destruction and suffering.

“It is not the people of Delhi or Islamabad, but we, the border people, who suffer every time. From 1947 to now, generation after generation, we’ve paid the price,” he said.

Referring to the May 10 ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, Shafi said while the move has brought temporary calm, a more permanent solution is needed.

“We pray the ceasefire holds — not just for now, but permanently. Our people deserve to live normal lives, do agriculture, and work in peace,” said Shafi, who said he was camping in Uri during the height of shelling and firing, a period he described as “really, really devastating.”

Noting that decades of violence has repeatedly shattered the lives of border residents, the lawmaker said, “Our children deserve peace, education, and a future — not trauma. We have the right to live and laugh like people in Delhi, Srinagar, or Lahore. But today, even our children have forgotten how to smile.”

Urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif to engage in dialogue, Shafi said, “Become statesmen and talk. Neither India nor Pakistan can change their neighbours, but they can change their future through peace.”

Citing ongoing conflicts like Russia-Ukraine and Gaza, he added, “War has never brought happiness — only devastation. Generations, lands, and futures are lost. The only solution is peace, peace, and peace.”

The MLA said that as per the preliminary assessment, 500 houses were damaged in the shelling. He added that the final assessment is still underway, but the initial findings have painted a grim picture of widespread devastation.

“The majority of the damaged structures have been completely reduced to rubble, while the rest have sustained partial damage,” the MLA said.

Shafi emphasized that the immediate challenge now is to rehabilitate the displaced families, many of whom have lost everything.