Tags:
Journalism of Courage
It takes about two hours for the trudge to Churanda and Tajhal on the LoC in Uri. And for us to realise that we are the first to reach here after the quake. The toll: 50 and rising.
And with no official help in sight, people have neither food nor shelter and spend cold nights under an open sky. ‘‘Fifty people are dead and 25 missing in our two villages,’’ says Nazir Husain, village chowkidar. ‘‘The injured are dying for want of medical help.’’
Rashida Bibi, 60, is being taken on a cot to hospital by her four sons. ‘‘It is going to take us four hours to reach Uri,’’ said Mohammad Hanief, elder son. ‘‘My mother was under our house for two hours. I took her out.’’
At Tajhal, villagers are waiting for the bodies of 10 who went missing at Kaman Post. ‘‘Our boys were working with the Border Roads Organisation. They died after their vehicle got buried,’’ says Nazir Ahmad, school headmaster. ‘‘We are preparing graves as the bodies are expected anytime.’’
Despite losing her son Aslam, Begum Jan is consoling Abdul Hamid who lost his wife Fatimah and two-year-old son Sajid. ‘‘Why has God has not taken me along with my family?’’ he wails.
Akbar says that all houses in the village have been flattened. ‘‘We have not eaten anything from last three days.’’
Losing hope fast, villagers are now collecting utensils and clothing from the rubble. At Churanda, they are busy erecting temporary polythene or tin shelters. ‘‘Please arrange for tents, food packets and medicines,’’ says Hasim-ud-din. ‘‘I have buried 33 civilians. But I couldn’t control my emotions when I couldn’t find shrouds for two of our children.’’
