Children in this village near Zero Line a traumatised lot

Ravi Krishnan Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Abdullian (Indo-Pak border), August 28

In Abdullian village on the border, children live in the shadow of the gun.

On Thursday night when Pakistan again shelled houses in Abdullian, close to the Zero Line, children could not sleep and spent the night in fear.

The children in the village dream of living in a peaceful environment where they can enjoy like other children of their age.

“We don’t want to live here anymore. One day when I grow up, I will move out of this place and take my parents along,” said Mandeep Singh, 11, a student of class V.

Mandeep along with five other children huddled on a cot inside a diary farm in the village. Being the eldest in the group, Mandeep was tasked with the responsibility of taking care of other children.

Mandeep said, “There was intense shelling and firing last night. I was frightened by explosions. I have been seeing shelling since the age of five.” He repeated that when he grows up he would move out of the village along with his parents and other family members.

He said he knew about the death of Pawan Kumar in Pakistani shelling this morning at his dairy farm, 50 yards away.

Tammana, who is in a kindergarten, said following Pakistani shelling she had to take shelter with her family inside a bunker last night. “It was hot and humid inside because there was no electricity in the village,” she said.

The children are aware of the way the Pakistan Rangers launch an attack.

“They start with small bombs (read bullets) and then fire big bombs (mortars). In the night, it gets really scary,” said five-year-old Tammana.