Border residents in Rajasthan breathe sigh of relief after ceasefire pact

Jaipur: After three days of tense moments, people in the border areas of Rajasthan are now heaving a sigh of relief after the announcement of a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

The red alerts and blackouts have been called off in Barmer, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer.

People raised slogans like 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and distributed sweets. A large crowd was seen celebrating at the Hanuman Chowraha in Jaisalmer city. 

Dileep Singh Sodha, a volunteer with Seemanta Lok Sangathan, which works for Hindu migrants from Pakistan, told DH that people in border areas are extremely relieved.

“The ceasefire has come as a great relief. Our whole routine had changed. With schools, shops, and markets shut and blackouts in place, businesses were suffering. We spent sleepless nights, guarding our streets. We could see drones from Pakistan. That was terrifying, but we had faith in our armed forces and our defence systems. Now, after three full days, we can get on with our lives. We want peace, wars are disruptors in every sense of the word.”  

Earlier, amidst the threat of attacks in the border states of Rajasthan, the district administrations of Barmer, Sriganganagar and Jodhpur had issued red alerts, urging residents to stay indoors. 

The administration had issued an advisory asking residents to stay inside, especially after sundown. 
Amidst the threat of an air raid, it has instructed residents not to venture out.

With a red alert issued in Barmer in the morning, the administration had ordered the immediate closure of all shops and markets. Collector Tina Dabi had instructed officials to enforce these orders strictly. 

Reports said drones from Pakistan were seen early morning in Barmer, which were tackled by the Indian defence forces. Some remnants of these drones were found in the fields around Barmer. In Balotra, remnants of a missile were found in the Girah Perau region. 

Meanwhile, there are reports of at least three explosions near Pokhran. Pokhran, around 113 km from Jaisalmer, is the place where India’s first nuclear explosion took place in 1974. Today, at least three blasts could be heard from Daadu village, around 30 km from Pokhran.  

Some reports of explosions have also come in from the Hindumalkot border and Sujawalpur in the district of Sri Ganganagar. 

Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma today reviewed preparedness in the border states and held an all-party meeting, and briefed the Opposition about various steps being taken to ensure security and safety.

(The writer is a Jaipur-based journalist)