A day after the local police station was attacked and at least half-a-dozen policemen beaten up, an uneasy calm prevails in Jourian, about 47 kms from Jammu. The quiet is broken by the movement of Army vehicles.

Outside the police station are the charred remains of the official vehicles that were set ablaze. The half-burnt windows offer a view of the complete destruction inside —the burnt records, scattered khaki uniforms, dented helmets and corridors filled with stones.

The mob first stoned the police station, before ransacking it. It also set ablaze some kullas of Gujjars nearby. “It all happened so swiftly. Our protests were going on as usual when the chowki officer told his men to be ready,” claimed a local, Balwinder. He alleged that a bullet was fired from the police station, which hit a protestor on the road outside.

“Unhoney kiya to hamney bhi kiya (they did it, so we retailiated),” said his daughter, Seema, a Class XII student.

The situation was brought under control only after the Army arrived. “Had we been late by even a few minutes, the scene would have turned ugly,” said a soldier of the unit that was sent to Akhnoor.

Meanwhile, people defied the curfew to organise protests along the highway leading to Akhnoor. However, the protests were largely peaceful, as the crowds made no move to resist the orders of the soldiers or break the barricades that had been placed along the roads.

At Dommana, about 15 km from Jammu, a crowd of protestors from nearby villages waved the national flag. “These have just been prepared by our women folk, the people of nearly 10 villages contributed. There are many being made, as we need them till the agitation continues,” said Tilak Raj, a villager who was leading the protestors.

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