India-Pakistan conflict: Kashmiris in Bengaluru living in constant fear for families

BENGALURU: The ripple effects of the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan are being felt in Bengaluru, thousands of kilometres from the border areas. For professionals and students from Jammu and Kashmir, who now call the city home, the days are filled with anxious phone calls, social media updates and an undercurrent of quiet worry.TOI spoke with a few individuals in Bengaluru who have their families back in Kashmir. They shared how their days are filled with prayers for their safety.A 23-year-old sales professional from Srinagar, who came to Bengaluru a year ago for work, said, "I can't concentrate on work — what's the point of earning money when you can't be with your family during such difficult times? Thankfully, phone and internet services are working. All I can do is pray. Once this chaos ends, I'll go home, hug them, and ask them to move here with me as soon as possible."A 49-year-old resident of Koramangala, who came to Bengaluru two years ago from Kashmir, recalled his parents narrating the blackout days during the 1965 and 1971 wars. He said, "My father served in the army and was part of the 1971 war with Pakistan. My parents remember the blackouts, the lights had to be switched off and windows covered with black paper. It is very scary. I am in constant touch with my family and friends in Punjab too.So far, they all are safe."For a first-year psychology student from south Bengaluru, her 19th birthday-eve is, as she said, ‘like living in hell'. She flew to Jammu on May 7 for two days to celebrate with her family, but she's been witnessing drone attacks almost every night. She said: "The blasts are loud and terrifying. I live close to military installations, so the fear is constant. But in a way, I'm glad I'm here. If I were in Bengaluru, I'd have completely lost it, worrying about my family's safety."A 19-year-old first-year media communications student said it is deeply disturbing. "Announcements back home were made warning people not to step out after 4pm, and in some localities, immediate evacuation orders were given. I could literally see missiles fly over my house during video calls with my family. No one here — not even in their worst nightmares — thought we'd be living through this. Bengaluru feels so much safer.My parents in Sainik Colony in Jammu refuse to leave until an official evacuation order. They say this is our home, our roots."