J&K: Dhangri residents stay away from Holi as mark of respect to terror victims

'We are still in mourning after the loss of seven innocent lives while many of our villagers are being treated after getting injured,' the village sarpanch said

As Holi, the festival of colours was celebrated across Jammu and Kashmir, and the rest of the country on Tuesday, residents of Dhangri village in Rajouri district stayed away as it is still mourning the killing of seven people by terrorists on New Year.

Seven people, including two children, were killed while 14 others were injured after terrorists barged into five houses and fired indiscriminately on civilians on January 1 in Dhangri village while an IED planted by them outside a house was triggered in the morning hours the next day.

More than two months after the deadly attacks, people in the village recount the ill-fated evening and are still in mourning. As a mark of respect to those who lost their lives in the terror attack, people in Dhangri decided to stay away from celebrating Holi.

“We are still in mourning after the loss of seven innocent lives while many of our villagers are being treated after getting injured,” Dheeraj Sharma, the village sarpanch, told reporters.

Read | Fear palpable in J&K's terror-hit Dhangri village

He said that staying away from celebrations was the moral responsibility of every individual in the area. “Mourning and celebrations can’t go together. The entire village stands with the victims' families and that is why we decided not to celebrate Holi this year,” Sharma said.

Saroj Bala, who lost both of her sons in the barbaric attack, thanked the villagers for standing with her and other victims' families.

“I lost both my sons and now I am alone at home, but the entire village is with me. Everyone here extended the best possible help,” said Bala, who hailed the villagers' decision to not celebrate Holi.

Read | In a first, ex-servicemen of terror-hit Dhangri village in J&K's Rajouri given SLRs for protection of villagers

However, Bala expressed anguish, as both the terrorists who carried out the attack remain untraced. “I am sure our forces will kill both the attackers who snatched my sons and also killed other people,” she said.

The attack on the minority community was seen as a major security concern after which 18 extra companies of CRPF were rushed to Rajouri and Poonch districts for stepping up security and one of the companies has also been deployed in Dhangri village.