Trinamool leaders meet people affected by Pak's cross-border shelling in J&K's Rajouri

New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) A five-member high-level delegation from the All India Trinamool Congress visited the border areas of the Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir following recent cross-border shelling from Pakistan that left several civilians injured.

The delegation, which included Trinamool MPs Derek O'Brien, Sagarika Ghose, Mohammad Nadeem-ul-Haq, Manas Guia, and Mamata Bala Thakur, spent two days assessing the on-ground situation in the conflict-affected regions of Poonch and Rajouri.

The team visited the Government Medical College (GMC), Rajouri, where they met with patients injured in the shelling. Hospital authorities and medical staff briefed the delegation on the condition of the victims and the treatment being provided.

Among those injured was Imtiaz Ahmed, a daily wage labourer who lost both hands in the shelling. Another patient, 12-year-old Rafia, has suffered severe leg injuries, rendering her unable to walk or attend school.

Speaking to reporters, Trinamool MP Sagarika Ghose expressed deep concern over the plight of civilians caught in the crossfire.

“We, the five-member delegation of public representatives from Bengal, have been here in the border areas for the last two days. Yesterday we were in Poonch, today we have come to Rajouri. We are seeing the human cost of what has happened over the last weeks,” Ghose stated.

Highlighting the suffering of the border population, Ghose added, “Why have they been neglected? Why are they not better protected? Why have these innocents had to suffer these kinds of injuries? Our heart is broken. Today our collective hearts are broken.”

She emphasised that the delegation came to extend solidarity and compassion to the victims. “We have come to give our condolences, our sympathy, our empathy... and our full-hearted love for all the people here. We are here to offer any help we can and any cooperation we can with the government of Jammu and Kashmir,” she concluded.

The Trinamool leaders have said that their visit aims to draw national attention to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the border villages, and the party has urged for stronger protective measures for residents living along the Line of Control (LoC).

--IANS

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