3 students killed in Pakistan shelling, Poonch school opens with tears — and a prayer

Only 400 of the 1,800 students reported to school at Christ School on the LoC on Monday. (Express photo by Aiswarya Raj)

It is not a good morning; not for our school, not for Poonch," starts Fr. Shijo Kanjirathingal, principal of Christ School, Poonch, as he takes over the thinly gathered morning assembly — the first since the school reopened on Monday after last week's shelling by Pakistan that killed at least 13 civilians and injured 60 in Poonch.

Three students of the school are among those killed: Urwa Fatima and her twin brother Zain Ali of Class 5, and Class 8 student Vihaan Bhargav. "This ground belongs to them and they were meant to be here," continues the principal.

Heads bowed, tears in some faces, the assembly breaks up after a prayer of silence.

Established in 1990, the school caters to 1,200 students from pre-school to Class 12. On this day, hardly 300 have arrived. Scars from shelling all over the campus — broken glass panes and a hit eucalyptus tree — attest to the horror experienced by the residents of this violence-scarred land.

When shelling began early on May 7, the school cancelled all classes, but its basement was used as a bunker for families in the area.

"We have one more school, Christ School, Degwar, which is only 3 km short of the Line of Control. We felt that school was particularly exposed and were concerned about them, but to our surprise, we got hit. Poonch town has never been so shelled before," alleges Fr Kanjirathingal.

In one of the junior wing classrooms, 24-year veteran teacher Amrit Kaur explains that most of the children haven't reported for classes, so they have been forced to merge children from two sections. "They are too young to comprehend what's going on, but we have requested them to come forward if they wish to speak.". I informed them they must be courageous because they are kids on the front lines," says Kaur. Behind her, the door was partially torn apart — the result of a splinter.

In the school's senior wing, Ranjeet Kaur, class teacher of 8A, weeps quietly. On May 7, her student Vihaan Bhargav was travelling from Poonch to Jammu with his family when shrapnel struck them. Bhargav was seated between his parents, in the front seat of their vehicle. His cousin, Rajvansh Singh, who is a Class 7 student at Christ School, Degwar, and was in the same vehicle, was badly injured.

Vihaan joined our school only last month. I had shifted him to the front bench after his parents requested me to pay special attention to him. I simply did not wish to attend school today. You see a child daily, and then he is no longer there. I asked my students to move into another room; I was not able to set foot in the room without Vihaan," she tells us.

Shells of last week that also fell on Christ School, Poonch (Express/Aiswarya Raj)

About 6 km away, at the Degwar campus of the school, principal Fr Liju explains that the school intends to hire a counsellor for the students. "Until 2019, there used to be ceasefire violations along the border, and we would have to return the students to their homes. But since then, things have been peaceful.I went around the campus this morning and instructed the staff to keep an eye out for unexploded shells," he says.

On Monday, the school did not hold the morning assembly. "Only 400 students have reported today. We did not want to push anyone," he explains. The 1,800-student CBSE school was established in 2014.

On the school verandah, Class 7 pupil Puneet Pal Singh is being questioned by his teachers about whether he has spoken to his best friend Rajvansh Singh, who was injured when a shell exploded on the roof of his house on May 7. Puneet and Rajvansh, who were classmates from their kindergarten days, would play cricket whenever they got an opportunity, according to the teachers.

I phoned Puneet's mother on May 7, but she didn't pick up. I kept calling. Then she answered and said he is in a hospital in Amritsar. Three days ago, we talked again, and the doctors were thinking of amputating. I have been praying since then," says Puneet.