After a hectic day at work Akram Hussain, a milkman by profession, was looking forward to a good night’s sleep on Friday evening.
He along with 600 others living in the line of fire in Jeora farms, roughly 500 meters away from the International border were not sleeping properly due to the intense exchange of fire in the area for the past several days. On Friday evening, when Pakistan Rangers started shelling the area around midnight Akram made a fatal error.
Instead of staying inside the thatched structure, he shifted his family of four children, his mother and wife out in the open. All others in the vicinity remained closetted inside their huts and escaped any injury.As firing continued Akram was seen sitting by his neighbours with his back towards the Pakistani side of the border and face towards the Indian side.
“Around 2.20 am mortars started raining in our village. At least two mortars fell near mosque while another landed in the courtyard of Akram Hussain’s temporary hut”, Munir Hussain told The Pioneer.Due to intense exchange of firing we could not step out and warn him to go inside the hut.
According to him, all the family members suffered splinter injuries and bled profusely before they were shifted to the hospital in Jammu.Akram Hussain, son of Shah Din and his eight-year-old son Aslam Hussain died on the spot while his wife Aalam Bibi and mother Kali bibi along with two other children Yonus and Razia suffered serious injuries.
later in the day as news spread hundreds of relatives and other villagers belonging to the same community converged near the local mosque to attend the burial of father and son.A group of women sat outside their hut to mourn the loss of their loved ones. The tell tale signs of fierce exchange of firing were visible everywhere.
An untidy milk bottle was still lying on the cot outside the hut pierced by bullet marks, sleepers soaked in blood were lying under the cot. The house ‘chullah’ (traditional stove) was disoriented, empty vessel with bullet marks and blood stains depicted horrifying moments of the hapless family. One of the goats owned by the family was also killed in the firing.
Angry community elders and youngsters appealed to the State and the Central Government to address their genuine grievances and shift them to safer places to prevent loss of human life.Mano Bibi, a close relative of Akram Hussain sitting among the crowd mourning the death of Akram and his son told reporters, “India should take firm action against the Pakistan to silence their guns”.
She claimed for the last 45 years we are in isolation. “No one ever cared about our well being and safety, she said wiping tears rolling down her eyes. Fatima bibi claimed our children are living in the line of fire and those who are educated have not been given any opportunity to join belt force. “No one ever thought of organising recruitment rallies for our youth so that they can also lead normal lives” she added.