‘Our children cannot be replaced’: Kin recall Poonch shelling tragedy

Sanjeev Bhargav, a government school teacher whose son Vihaan Bhargav was among the 14 civilians killed in Pakistani shelling on Poonch city last year, still carries the emptiness etched deep within his heart.

His grief stems not only from losing his only son, a Class 8 student at Christ School in Poonch, but also from the fact that the district administration did not officially remember those killed in the shelling on its anniversary this year.

While prayers were held at different religious places for the victims belonging to Sikh, Hindu and Muslim communities, there was no official event organised by the administration to remember them.

“I was promised by senior officials a few days after the tragedy that my son would always be remembered. But no deceased was remembered by the government. It seems the memories of those who died have faded from the government’s mind,” said Bhargav, a resident of Dungas.

But friends and family members of Vihaan have not forgotten him.

Christ School Principal Father Shijo Kanjirathingal, who visited the family on Thursday, recalled meeting Vihaan and his father at a school function just days before the shelling.

“At the function, Vihaan asked his father to speak to me about his behaviour in school. He was a very decent and playful child, and that is exactly what I told his father,” said the principal.

The events on May 7 unfolded when Sanjeev Bhargav along with his family were trying to flee Poonch amid heavy Pakistani shelling when a bomb exploded near the car killing Vihaan instantly.

Following Vihaan’s death, his mother was provided a government job in the Chief Education Officer’s office in Poonch and the family also received financial assistance.

Yet, Bhargav says no compensation can lessen the loss of an only child. “Change is the law of nature, but for parents who have lost their only child, it doesn’t apply,” he said quietly.

While life may have returned to normal for many, families who lost loved ones say they continue to live with the memories of that day.

The grief of Rameez Khan and his wife Urusa Khan is no different. The couple lost their 12-year-old twins, Zoya and Zain, in the shelling. Both children studied in the same school as Vihaan.

The family had shifted to rented accommodation in Poonch from their village, nearly 10 kilometres away, so the children would not have to travel long distances for school.

Rameez, who was also injured in the shelling, says he often wonders if his children would still be alive had they not moved to Poonch.

In Syndicate Mohalla, a predominantly Sikh locality, two more families continue to mourn their loved ones.

Family members of Ranjit Singh and Amrik Singh visited the local gurdwara on Thursday where prayers were held in memory of those killed.

Ranjit Singh, who ran a small grocery shop, was the sole caretaker of his elderly parents. After his death, his siblings took responsibility for the family, while one of his brothers was provided a government job as compensation.

Jaswant Kaur, Ranjit’s elder sister, recalled how he spent his final moments trying to save others.

“When the shelling started, Ranjit went out and brought four Muslim youths into our home to protect them. He stepped out again, and a shell exploded near him, killing him on the spot,” she said.

For the families left behind, memories of their loved ones continue to linger long after the shelling fell silent.