Ex-Minister Ch Sukhnandan demands bunkers for all border residents
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: In response to the growing crisis along the International Border (IB) in the Jammu region, senior BJP leader and former minister Ch. Sukhnandan Kumar has made a strong appeal to the government for the immediate construction of individual bunkers for all families living in border villages. The demand came after he met a delegation of distressed villagers who shared their experiences of living under the shadow of relentless cross-border shelling.
Residents from several severely affected villages – including Border village Treva, Changia, Nandpur Abdullian chanana, Gole Pattan and Pangore Chagrali-met the former minister and narrated the trauma they face daily.
A villager told Ch Sukhnandan Kumar that his family had just brought home his 95-year-old father after heart surgery when the area came under heavy mortar fire. “We were lucky to escape with our lives,” he said, describing how they were forced to leave their home once again.
Another border resident recounted how a shell tore through the rooftop of his house in Korotana, creating a large crater and causing extensive damage. His family had narrowly escaped because they had temporarily relocated. Similarly, many others spoke of their sleepless nights. “The walls of our home are riddled with holes from mortar fragments. We live in constant fear,” they said.
The villagers expressed strong patriotic emotions during the meeting. “If given full freedom, our Indian forces would have completed the mission and wiped out terrorism from the face of the earth,” they said. “Pakistan has become a safe haven for terrorists. We want PoK back, and if Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided on a ceasefire, we are with him. We are always ready to stand with our country.”
Moved by their issues, Ch. Sukhnandan Kumar assured the villagers that he would take up their concerns with higher authorities, particularly emphasizing the need for concrete bunkers for every family in the border areas. He said such protective structures were no longer a luxury but a necessity to ensure the safety, dignity, and psychological well-being of the border residents.
He also praised the BJP leadership and lauded the efforts of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for swiftly making arrangements for border migrants who had to abandon their homes during times of extreme shelling and crisis.
As villagers continue to live in fear, the demand for individual bunkers grows louder. With rising tensions and repeated shelling, safety infrastructure is critical not just for physical protection but for restoring a sense of normalcy.
Ch. Sukhnandan Kumar’s intervention and the villagers’ courageous voices highlight the urgent need for central and UT authorities to act swiftly and provide lasting relief and protection to the border residents of Jammu & Kashmir.
Other who were present included ex-Sarpanches Vijay Kumar, Jyoti Kumar, Surjeet Singh, Balkar Singh, Ch Papu Abdullian, Ch Khanna, Ragubir Singh, Ashok Choudhary, Balkar Kour Treva, Ex Chairman MC Arnia Romesh Saini, Basant Saini President Bishnah Cooperative Marketing Society.
