'Don't Know When Our Scars Will Heal,' Say Uri Residents Slowly Returning Home

Many who fled to Baramulla and Srinagar told The Quint they were overwhelmed by the warm welcome they received.

Najar, a resident of Uri, had his house damaged in shelling by Pakistan on the night of 9-10 May.

(Photo: Suhaib Bhat)

“Even if I had been sleeping on gold these past few days, I wouldn’t have found peace. Nothing compares to being in my own home,” 28-year-old Waseem Ahmad told The Quint, a day after he returned to Uri on 13 May, Tuesday.

Waseem and his family had moved to Srinagar amid heavy shelling along the Line of Control, including in Uri tehsil in Kashmir's Baramulla district, between 7 May and 10 May post Operation Sindoor.

As calm seemingly prevailed for a second night on 13 May, they were "relieved" to return home.

Like Waseem, many other residents who fled their homes in Uri during the intense cross-border shelling are slowly beginning to return.

Rasheed Ahmad Dar, a resident of Uri's Balkote village, compares the feeling to the joy of a wedding—the kind of happiness that fills your heart, lights up your face, and makes you forget the exhaustion of the journey.

"There’s something magical about returning to a place where every corner holds a memory," he told The Quint.

Two children on a bus carrying displaced families back to Uri wave joyfully, celebrating their return home after days of fear.

(Photo: Arshdeep Singh)

The joy of returning home, though, is tempered by anxiety. While there is relief, it is accompanied by the overwhelming reality of facing the destruction left behind and the daunting task of rebuilding lives.

“We are hopeful that with the ceasefire declared between India and Pakistan will sustain and things will return to normal,” said Najar, a man in his 60s from Uri.

“But we also know that life near the border can change in an instant. This fear has left a deep scar on our minds—something we can’t easily forget or overcome.”

'Abandoned Our Homes, Fled in Hope of Finding Safety...'

"Our whole family was asleep when the cross-border shelling began. We tried to shield ourselves behind a wall. The next day, we moved to Baramulla town," said Faiza Ahmed (name changed), a mother of three, and a resident of Paranpillan village.

“We were terrified,” added Najar. “When our house was hit and collapsed, we too fled with our entire family towards Baramulla town.”

Like Faiza and Najar, when the shelling and firing began on 7 May, many residents from villages and towns across Uri fled to the nearby town of Baramulla. But reaching safely was anything but easy.

Aslam and nine other family members from Uri's Razarwani village were en route Baramulla town in search of safety when the shelling intensified, and a shrapnel tore through their vehicle. During the attack, his mother Nargis Begum and aunt Hafiza were injured. Nargis, a 45-year-old of four, tragically succumbed to her injuries a few hours later.

"The shell hit our vehicle directly—there was fire, screaming, and then silence," Aslam recalled.

"I thought my mother was crying because my aunt was hurt, but I didn’t realise it (the shrapnel) had struck her. She just looked at me without saying a word."

A heavily damaged house in Uri stands abandoned after intense shelling.

(Photo: Bilal Ahmad Dar/Sourced by Arshdeep Singh)

Families Found Refuge in Hotels, Gurdwaras

Among those who managed to reach safely, many said they were overwhelmed by the warm welcome they received.

When displaced residents arrived in Baramulla with only their belongings, Fahad Gayas, owner of Hotel City Palace, opened the doors of his hotel to shelter them.

"When we reached Baramulla without knowing where to go, Fahad sahab was standing outside his hotel. He took our bags and gave us a place to stay for free," said Aftab Hussain Shah, a resident of Dachi village in Uri.

Fahad Gayas said, "We were ready to provide not just a roof, but warmth, safety, and support during such a difficult time."

"We posted on social media that shelter was available. We announced that any family displaced from Uri was welcome at Hotel City Palace."

Fahad Gayas, owner of Hotel City Palace, Baramulla

Faiza Ahmed and her three kids living in hotel before the ceasefire was announced on 10 May.

(Photo: Arshdeep Singh)

Paramjeet Singh, president of the District Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (DGPC), Baramulla, speaking to the media on 10 May, shared that the gurdwaras were opened to provide shelter to those in need as well.

"As the tensions escalated, we (DGPC) made all the necessary arrangements for their stay and food. At this moment, our focus is solely on humanitarianism, and it is our duty to help those in need," he said.

According to Aftab Hussain Shah, as shelling began in his village, located just 10 kilometres from the border, government vehicles helped them in evacuation.

'Don't Know When the Scars Will Heal'

Shakeela (name changed), 55, from Gingal village in Uri returned to her home on 14 May after spending five days at a relative's place in Srinagar.

Her tone subdued, she said, “But it no longer feels the same as before."

"We are happy that the situation is improving day by day, but the scars left by this war, I don’t know when they will heal. Everything in my home is destroyed. I gave my all to build it, and now everything is in ashes. I don’t know how I’ll manage to make it liveable again.”

Shakeela

Shakeela’s kitchen in her Gingal home, as seen in the aftermath of shelling on the night of 9-10 May.

(Photo: Suhaib Bhat)

Then there's Asifa (name changed), in her mid-20s, whose life was upended just as she was on the verge of embarking on a new chapter.

“My family was busy preparing for my wedding when the conflict began,” she told The Quint. “We had to flee our home, and before the ceasefire was announced, I kept wondering—will my wedding even take place in our own house? So many thoughts crossed my mind.”

Now back, she finds herself caught in a surreal shift of priorities. “We’ve returned, but instead of wedding preparations, we are focused on repairing our damaged home. Life is too uncertain... my happiness has turned into a nightmare.”

Asifa (name changed) outside her damaged home.

(Photo: Suhaib Bhat)

‘’We all want peace. We want a permanent ceasefire. The shelling did not only lead to loss of human lives, but also damaged our homes and affected the animals."

Rasheed Ahmad Dar, a resident of Balkote village

While the return of residents marks a step towards normalcy for border communities, officials continue to urge caution and encourage residents to report anything suspicious.