TMC delegation visits Poonch, extends solidarity to shelling victims and questions government preparedness
Poonch, May 22: In a strong display of empathy and national unity, a five-member delegation from the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) visited the border district of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday to express deep solidarity with the residents who were grievously affected by recent cross-border shelling from Pakistan. The visit comes in the wake of heightened tensions following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives and was met with a powerful Indian Army response under ‘Operation Sindoor’, which reportedly neutralized nine terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
In a tragic fallout of the retaliatory violence, Pakistan’s artillery and mortar shelling resulted in the death of 27 civilians and left more than 70 injured, with Poonch bearing the brunt of the onslaught. The TMC delegation’s visit aimed to bring attention to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region, while also providing moral support to the grieving and injured.
The delegation comprised senior TMC leaders including Rajya Sabha MPs Derek O’Brien, Sagarika Ghose, and Md Nadimul Haque; West Bengal Minister Manas Bhunia; and former MP Mamata Thakur. Their visit to Poonch formed part of a larger three-day outreach tour across Jammu and Kashmir that began on Wednesday from Srinagar.
Addressing the media after interacting with the families of victims and the injured, MP Sagarika Ghose described the visit as a “journey of empathy and unity.” She said the delegation had come to Poonch not merely as political representatives, but as fellow citizens moved by the pain and suffering of their compatriots.
“We are here to assure the people of Poonch that they are not alone in this moment of grief and hardship. The people of Bengal, and indeed the entire nation, stand with them in complete solidarity. We feel their pain, and we share their sorrow,” said Ghose.
She further assured the residents that the delegation would advocate for their needs and support the J&K government in all necessary relief, rehabilitation, and long-term safety efforts. “We will stand behind any steps taken for their support. From our side too, we will explore how we can help,” she said.
Emphasizing the need for a lasting solution to border vulnerability, Ghose added, “We are also here to assess how this region can be made permanently safe. Too many innocent lives have been lost. It’s time to move beyond temporary fixes and look for a secure and peaceful future for Poonch.”
Taking a firm stance on the lapses in emergency response, she questioned why civilians were not evacuated in time despite the escalating threat. “Why were the residents left exposed to heavy shelling without adequate shelters? Why does the Poonch district hospital lack basic critical infrastructure like ventilators and ICUs? These are serious issues, and we will raise them,” she asserted.
Echoing similar sentiments, MP Derek O’Brien said the visit had left the delegation shaken by the scale of human suffering. “It is heartbreaking to see the devastation. These are our fellow citizens, and their lives must not be treated as statistics. We are here on behalf of Mamata Ji to convey a simple message—we are with you, and we will not be silent,” he said.
The delegation’s visit was widely appreciated by locals who saw it as a much-needed acknowledgment of their plight and an opportunity to bring national attention to their suffering and the need for preventive infrastructure along the border.
