Inside Poonch: How ‘War’ Changed Lives Along India-Pak Border

Poonch's untold stories reveal human cost of border conflict.

(Photo: Shiv Kumar Maurya/The Quint)

"Those living in the comfort of their homes are opining about war. They're saying that to gain something, we must be ready to lose something. That something cannot be us. Our people are not collateral damage. Those who want war must come and live here in border districts. We'll arrange travel and food for them."

16-year-old Japneet Kaur is angry.

On 7 May, as Pakistan launched heavy shelling across the border, a splinter claimed the life of Japneet's father Amrik Singh, a raagi in a local Gurdwara in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

"Wars are not fought on social media. They have real consequences. For us, this war is over," Japneet told The Quint.

As India and Pakistan engaged in a tit-for-tat shelling and firing for over a week in the wake of India's precision strikes post the Pahalgam terror attack, at least eight people died and 44 others were injured in Poonch alone as it remained one of the worst affected districts.

Watch The Quint's documentary which details the untold human stories behind the headlines — Poonch civilians caught in the crossfire, the lack of adequate bunkers, and the plea for safety from those living closest to the conflict.