J-K: Grieving for loved ones, survivors of terror attacks come out to vote

STATE TIMES NEWS

Dhangri (Rajouri, J-K): “My sons accompanied me last time (2019) to vote. Today they are not with me,” says 51-year-old Bala, the pain of losing her two children in a terrorist attack last year writ large on her face. Bala’s sons – Deepak Sharma (24) and Prince Sharma (21) – were among seven civilians killed when terrorists struck their village on January 1, 2023, opening indiscriminate fire on the members of the minority community before fleeing the scene. They also left behind an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) which went off the next morning. Like Bala, many survivors of the terrorist attack queued up on Saturday in this remote Dhangri village to vote in the election to the Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha seat which saw a record 53 per cent turnout, the highest in 40 years. “I am deeply pained as my sons are not with me,” Bala, a widow, told PTI after casting her vote at the polling station set up at the local government higher secondary school. She said she left behind her pain to exercise the fundamental right as a tribute to the victims of the terror attack. Besides the two brothers, Pritam Lal (57) and his son Shishu Pal Sharma (32) and army ex-serviceman Satish Kumar (45) lost their lives in the firing, while two children Samiksha Sharma (13) and her cousin Vihaan Sharma (4) died in the IED explosion.A couple of Pakistani terrorists including the mastermind of the attack were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in May and November, last year in Rajouri hills. Two terror associates were also arrested by National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the attack. “Voting is everyone’s fundamental duty and every citizen of the country should fulfil it,” Bala said.