Jammu Bishop Pereira talks about 'painful' visit amid deaths and destruction from Pakistan clash
The prelate personally visited the areas most affected by the recent military confrontation between India and Pakistan. Shelling has "killed many people" and "destroyed hundreds of houses, shops, vehicles and other infrastructure". The situation now seems to be improving but the fear of fresh attacks remains.
New Delhi (AsiaNews) – Bishop Ivan Pereira of Jammu-Srinagar talked to AsiaNews about the situation in his diocese, which covers Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, scene of a recent military clash with Pakistan.
The prelate travelled through the hilly region of Poonch and in the Rajouri sector of the Jammu Division, an area "severely pounded by Pakistani artillery shelling”. The trip was “memorable and painful” at the same time.
The fighting ended up “killing many people and injuring scores more besides destroying and damaging hundreds of houses, shops, vehicles and other infrastructures” he said.
“I along with fathers and sisters personally visited some of the houses where people including children lost their lives due to arterially shelling to pay my condolences and assure them of our help and support,” he added.
Confirming that the situation remains critical due to the recent violence, which has raised fears of an open conflict between India and Pakistan, he explained that locals “are inconsolable, with deep pain and cannot understand why it happened to them.”
Bishop Pereira noted that for the past few days, "due to the ceasefire agreement,” the border between the two South Asian nuclear powers is “silent”,
Although the “fear of renewed attacks” has not yet completely dissipated, the improved situation has also allowed the return of “many people from the border districts of Poonch, Rajouri and Samba.”
“On 19 May, schools were reopened in these districts” despite an attendance that was initially "limited. Now,” the prelate added, “attendance in school has reached almost 90 per cent" but they are still strong in trauma in people who remain in need of "counselling and healing,” including psychological help.
A five-member delegation from the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), a West Bengal-based party, visited the area recently. MP Derek O'Brien, party leader in the Rajya Sabha (upper house), led the group, which included other Raiha Sabha members, namely Mamta Thakur, Sagarika Ghose, and Mohd Nadimul Haque, as well as West Bengal State Minister Manas Ranjan.
The politicians visited the affected areas of Poonch and Rajour where they met people, and on their way back to West Bengal, they stopped at the Bishop’s House to speak with Bishop Pereira, in Jammu.
“The priests and sisters of the diocese of Jammu-Srinagar were at the forefront sheltering the displaced people in our schools and meeting their immediate needs,” the bishop explained. “The diocese also has a proposal to undertake rehabilitation work of affected people especially to assist people to rebuild their damaged houses.”
(Nirmala Carvalho contributed to this article)
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10/10/2019 11:06
