‘Indebted to the people of Poonch’: Malayali priest recalls how locals stepped in amid shelling

A Malayali priest working at a branch of Christ School in Jammu and Kashmir remains rattled but not scared as he recounts the harrowing experience of the shelling in Poonch. On May 7, two school students were killed and several others injured in a shelling attack that struck a civilian area in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district.

India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed this during a media briefing on Thursday. The shell landed near a Christ School in Poonch, triggering panic and forcing staff and locals to seek refuge underground.

Hailing from Kerala, the priest has been working at a school in Kashmir for the past six years. Speaking to Onmanorama under the condition of anonymity, the priest described the incident as unprecedented.

“This is the first time the city itself was hit. There have been reports of firing and tension along the border in the past, but a shell landing this close—inside the city—is something new and deeply disturbing,” he said.

He added that there was no proper evacuation plan in place when the shelling began. “Many casualties happened because of that—everyone believed that if you wanted to save your life, you had to leave the city. During that exodus, many were hit by shells on the highway.”

A second shell reportedly struck a nearby Christian convent run by the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel. This damaged water tanks and destroyed solar panel infrastructure. Following the attack, several priests, nuns, school staff and local residents relocated to a safer area. There were around 35 individuals from the convent, 90% of whom are Malayalis.

According to the priest, the attack stopped around 11.30 am. “Meanwhile, many of our students’ parents offered us shelter in their native villages across the Poonch district. So around 12 pm, we, along with our Kerala staff, were evacuated to one of our own institutions outside the district,” he said. The official evacuation, according to him, began around 2 pm. “They are now giving proper shelter and food to the people.”

The Christ School in Poonch, located around 10–15 km from the Line of Control (LoC), was closed on the day of the attack. This averted what could have been a much greater tragedy. The Christ Schools in J&K were established by the CMI fathers of the St Thomas Province of Kozhikode in 1989 and currently educate around 1,100 students. The priest said local support played a critical role during the emergency.

“People were helping each other in this tough situation. Initially, the public themselves managed all medical emergencies. I still remember, around 2 am early that morning, I got a call from a local person about the possible danger. Many were concerned about our safety. I am indebted to the people of Poonch for their great concern and love,” he said.

The priest and 35 others—90% of whom are Malayalis—were among those who moved to safety. “We are closely monitoring the situation. Given the prevailing travel alerts and the alarming circumstances, we are not planning to return to Kerala just yet,” he added. Like many others, he hopes peace will soon be restored.

Foreign Secretary Misri accused Pakistan of deliberately targeting civilian areas and religious institutions. “Pakistan is shelling gurdwaras, churches, temples—places of worship—with a particular design. This is a new low even for Pakistan,” he said.