Suman Devi, mother of four minor children youngest being six months old, is braving all odds to protect her children from the roaring Pak guns and harsh winter season for over three weeks now.
Resident of village Chak Rama in Pallanwala Suman had to rush out along with several other villagers after Pakistan Army started pounding forward villages with 120 mm mortar shells on Thursday evening.
Wife of a serving Army jawan, posted away from his home town, Suman is camping at Radha Swami Satsang Bhawan for last two days.
Away from the cozy comfort of her own house, she, along with her mother-in-law Kaushalaya Devi, is spending sleepless nights struggling to comfort her youngest son.
“He is weeping constantly and struggling to adjust to these harsh weather conditions here in this camp”, Suman told a team of reporters who visited the relief camp on Friday. She returned to her home during the day to pick some items for her kids but security personnel advised her to return to relief camp anticipating fresh exchange of fire.
“Here it is very windy. We are staying under the roof but it is open from all sides and we have no other option to go any where. Other relief camps set up by the state govt lack basic amenities”.
Narrating her ordeal and how she managed to dodge intense Pak shelling Suman said, when Pak shelling started we waited for some time but as it became more intense majority of villagers decided to shift to safer places. “I had to virtually scramble for basic items to ensure my children were not deprived of their basic needs”.
She said, “We are repeating this drill for over three weeks now. On October 28 when a young boy was killed in the shelling near our village we had to rush out of our houses. Now Pak army has once again started targeting civilian areas.We cannot afford to stay back as mortars are raining in our area and danger is lurking in the deserted bylanes. Almost every one has moved out.Our village is blacked out and deserted”
On reaching relief camp she first of all arranged food for her three children and tried to accommodate them in two blankets.
“We have been sleeping on the floor for last several days in this satsang bhawan. The management of the satsang bhawan is providing food and other essentials for kids and senior citizens. Suman said, “our kids are very brave. They have adjusted themselves and have stopped complaining. Their studies are suffering too as schools in the border areas are shut down. They know this is the price they have to pay to stay alive and safe”.
“In the absence of my husband, who is serving Indian army and posted out of the state, i have no other support system in my neighbourhood. I am trying my best to manage my life and facing challenges to ensure safety of my kids”.
She said her husband remains a constant source of inspiration as he is keeping track of our movement and is motivating me to stay tough and resolute in these challenging times. “I tell him privately on phone, “you are fighting a battle at the frontiers of mother nation and i am fighting a twin battle here to ensure safety and welfare of our kids”
She said, “as long as my kids are not comfortable and secure I cannot sleep and relax. I have to stay awake and protect them against all odds and from all the enemies”.