Life limps back to normalcy in Sirsa, but fear of explosions lingers on

Residents of several villages near Sirsa spent two sleepless nights following loud explosions in the sky on Friday night. While life began to return to normal on Sunday, the fear and anxiety from the previous nights continued to linger in villages. With the situation appearing calmer on Monday and no further incidents reported, the villagers are slowly resuming their daily routine activities. But the memory of two tense nights filled with fear, and sleeplessness will never be forgotten anytime soon.

On Friday night, loud blasts were heard in the sky above Sirsa, reportedly during a retaliatory action by the Air Force after Pakistan launched an aerial strike. Residents of Firozabad, Khaja Khera and Ottu villages were shocked when parts of a missile were found in their fields and the nearby areas. Though no one was injured, the presence of missile debris spread panic among locals, especially those living in small hamlets near the impact zone.

Around 100 families, which live in fields near Firozabad village, stayed awake on Friday and Saturday nights, fearing more attacks from Pakistan. Some villagers said even the slightest sound during the night would startle them. “We didn’t sleep for two nights. Even when we went to bed, our eyes stayed open,” said a resident from Ottu village.

“It was only on Sunday morning, after some clarity about the ceasefire, that we could finally sleep,” he said.

Though news of a ceasefire brought some relief on Saturday evening, villagers were still too tense. The fear intensified when another round of firing was reportedly heard later that night on the Line of Control. Villagers turned off all lights in their homes after sunset as a precautionary measure.

“We agreed that until full peace returns, we’ll keep our homes dark at night,” said Jogiram, a resident of Khaja Khera village.

Mohit Kumar from Firozabad village shared his close call with danger. “A large piece of missile landed just 1.5 km away from our houses in a field. If it had hit someone’s home, the damage could have been considerable,” he said. “When we heard about the ceasefire, we thought we are safe. But later, when news of more firing on border came in, all the fear came back,” he said.

In days that followed, villagers engaged themselves in discussions at chaupals, tea stalls and even streets on whether the ceasefire between India and Pakistan would hold or not. Some believe missile fragments were from Indian defence operations targeting Pakistani drones, while others think missiles came from across the border and were intercepted mid-air by the Indian Air Force.

So far, no official statement has confirmed the source of debris. Despite uncertainty, people like Jaswinder from Firozabad village say they trust the Indian armed forces. “We believe our Army can stop any attack. But missile debris falling in our villages shows how close the danger came,” he said. “We’re finally able to sleep now, but the fear hasn’t gone completely,” he said.