It’ll be normal again, don’t worry: Rahul Gandhi offers hope to grieving Poonch

Amid the echoes of trauma and shattered classrooms, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi walked into Christ Public School on Saturday with a message as simple as it was powerful: “Don’t worry. Everything will go back to normal.”

The town of Poonch, one of the worst-hit in this month’s cross-border shelling between India and Pakistan, has been grappling with grief and devastation since the April 22 Pahalgam attack and India’s retaliatory strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Gandhi’s visit marked a moment of human connection in a region still counting its dead and wounded.

Among those lost were 12-year-old twins, Urba Fatima and Zain Ali — students of Christ Public School — who had moved to Poonch only two months earlier to be closer to their education. Their absence was palpable as classmates remembered them with quiet reverence.

“They liked cricket,” one student recalled. “They were always helping others,” said another. Gandhi listened closely, then gently asked, “Kya kartey the…kya kheltey the…kaisa lagta tha unko? (What did they do, what games did they play, how did they feel?)”

“You miss your little friends,” Gandhi said softly. “I’m very sorry about that. But I feel very, very proud of you.”

With emotions still raw, Gandhi encouraged the students to stay strong. “Now, you feel a little bit of danger, a little frightened,” he said, “but don’t worry — everything will go back to normal. Your response should be to study hard, play harder, and make lots of friends.”

This was Gandhi’s second visit to Jammu and Kashmir this month. In Poonch, he was joined by J&K Congress president Tariq Hameed Karra, National Conference Minister Javed Rana, and other senior leaders. The delegation also visited several religious and community sites affected by the shelling, including Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Geeta Bhawan, and the Zia ul Aloom school, where one teacher was killed and multiple students were injured.

The shelling earlier this month claimed over 10 lives and wounded nearly 40 people across the district. Among the dead was 14-year-old Vihaan Bhargav, killed by shrapnel as his family attempted to flee.

Walking through the damaged streets and speaking with residents, Gandhi later described the situation as a “bahut badi tragedy” — a massive tragedy. “There’s been tremendous loss of life and widespread destruction. I will take up the concerns I’ve heard here at the national level,” he assured.

In a time of broken hearts and broken homes, Gandhi’s visit may not mend what’s been lost — but it offered a hand to hold and a promise: that the nation sees, hears, and remembers Poonch.