A Sister’s Wedding Ruined, a Mother’s Hope Fading—Will Tangdhar’s Sikh Village Ever Escape the Shadow of War?
Suhail Khan
Tangdar, May 23 ; What was my fault? Why were my dreams destroyed? Why was my education snatched away? Where will I find books now? How will I fulfill my father’s dream of clearing the UPSC civil services?
These agonizing questions haunt Jaspreet Singh, a young aspirant sitting in his shell-damaged home in Terbuni village, tears welling in his eyes, his hopes for a brighter future fading.
Last week, Pakistan’s relentless shelling targeted this minority Sikh village in Tangdhar, near the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara. The unprovoked aggression left families shattered, dreams broken, and lives in disarray.
What crime did we commit? Why this cruelty? Jaspreet asks. My sister was supposed to get married next month—how will that happen now? Will my family ever return after fleeing? Pakistan’s missiles, artillery, and drones took everything—our happiness, our reason to live. Who will listen to our cries?
Every household in Terbuni bears the same scars—fear etched on their faces, uncertainty clouding their future. The haunting question lingers: Will the shelling start again? Will we have to flee in the dead of night?
Tripat Kaur, a mother of two, is haunted by the horrors of May 6. Staring blankly into the distance, she wonders: Will I ever see my son wear a doctor’s white coat? Will I celebrate his success—if we survive?
That evening had begun like any other—families gathered for dinner, then retired to sleep. Suddenly, a deafening explosion shattered the silence. At first, they dismissed it as routine cross-border firing. But within minutes, the entire village was under attack. Shells, missiles, and drones rained down as screams and chaos engulfed Terbuni.
We ran to the bunkers, praying to survive the night, Tripat recalls, her voice trembling. Half-dead with fear, we somehow lived to see May 7.
We’ve faced shelling before, but this was a battle for survival. That night is seared into my mind—I can’t forget it.
I have nothing left to give to my family. I have lost everything; my house has been reduced to ashes, and we are now at the mercy of God,” said Javid Ahmad, a Muslim from the village.
He said, “I have nothing left; everything has been destroyed by Pakistan’s shelling, and my family is now homeless. I have nothing more to say; I don’t feel alive anymore—everything is over…” Javid said while standing among the debris of his house destroyed by Pakistan’s shelling.
This is the second time my home has been destroyed by Pakistan’s shelling. Previously, my house was at a different location, and it was destroyed in the same way. After years of hard work, I had created a place for my family to live, and now that too is gone. We don’t have anything left now…
Tajinder Singh, who returned home with his two sons, lives in constant dread. “Will schools shut down again? Will we have to run for our lives once more? Will we endure those terrifying nights again? Will we abandon our already broken homes?”
We came back, but the fear remains, he says. The pain inside is indescribable. Our houses are damaged, but the real suffering is the uncertainty—what future do these innocent children have?
We’ve endured decades of suffering, but we can’t bear to see these children suffer anymore. We want a future for them—not more shelling.
Makhan Singh, a member of the District Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, voices the villagers’ desperation: We live here, but how long can we survive without bunkers?
We appeal to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha—if the Indian government truly wants us to stay, provide us bunkers. We don’t want to keep fleeing. Don’t make us suffer anymore.
At least 15 Sikh families in Terbuni village suffered major losses, including Javid Ahmad, whose house was completely destroyed.
The recent escalation between India and Pakistan has cast a dark shadow over Jammu and Kashmir. Artillery duels and missile strikes have killed over 30 people, including two children, with countless injured and homes reduced to rubble. At one point, the terrifying question loomed: Could this spiral into a nuclear catastrophe?
Though a U.S.-brokered ceasefire has brought fragile calm, LoC residents demand permanent safety bunkers. Now, the critical question remains:
Will PM Modi’s BJP government or Omar Abdullah’s National Conference offer a lasting solution? Or will their visits remain mere photo-ops, as before?
For now, the people of Terbuni wait—hoping for peace, praying for survival, and clinging to the fragments of their shattered dreams.
Pertinently, after years of conflict, political changes following the Abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, and pandemic setbacks, Kashmir had begun to see signs of revival. Tourism, the backbone of its economy, was rebounding. In 2023, over 21 million tourists visited—a record high—with numbers rising to 23.6 million in 2024.
Hotels were fully booked, leading travelers to opt for homestays. Major hospitality brands expanded their presence, with Taj Vivanta adding 20 new rooms. International investors, such as Abu Dhabi’s LuLu Group, launched projects like a hypermarket in Srinagar. However, the recent attack in Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley—often called “mini Switzerland”—resulted in the deaths of 26 people, including tourists and locals. Following the Indo-Pak cross-border tensions, this tragedy has disrupted life in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir once again.
Businesses have been affected, and people are left questioning: Can Kashmir get back on track? Can peace truly prevail? Can a ceasefire agreement between two nuclear nations hold?
Suhail Khan is a filmmaker, content writer, and freelance journalist.
