Budgam doctor buried amid tears and outrage

The entire village of Naidgam in central Kashmir’s Budgam district went into mourning on Monday during the funeral procession of Dr Shahnawaz Ahmad Dar, who was one of the seven victims of the Ganderbal attack.

Thousands of people attended his funeral and offered their condolences to the family and many attacked the attackers, calling him “barbaric and inhumane”.

When his son, Mohsin Shahnawaz Dar, who was in college, shouldered the coffin during the funeral procession; he could not resist and sang: “Oh my brave father, I want to rock you gently (to sleep)”. The others shouted “stop the innocent deaths, stop the innocent deaths”. The women of the family sang elegies to bid Dar a final farewell while shouting “oh, our martyr”.

Dar, 52, a doctor by profession from Budgam, was among the seven killed on Sunday when terrorists opened fire at a construction site in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. The victims were workers and employees of a construction company working on the construction of a tunnel for the Srinagar-Leh national highway.

According to police, at least two suspected gunmen opened indiscriminate fire at the camp housing APCO workers at Gagangeer in Gund area of ​​Ganderbal district.

Dar left behind his wife, daughter, two sons – one a student and the other a university student and two brothers – both postgraduates, all dependent on him.

According to family members, Dar had left for work the next day for an emergency call as he was otherwise busy with his daughter’s wedding ceremony, which ended on October 16.

“He went to work during the day and stayed in touch with his family throughout the day to arrange the bride’s return on Monday. Your daughter was returning from her in-laws’ house today. In the evening, we received a call about the attack,” said one of his relatives, Bashir Ahmad.

His son Mohsin Dar, who until now intended to prepare for the IAS, felt the heavy burden of his family on his shoulders.

“My father was an honest person. He used to help people beyond his work hours. He wanted me to do medicine after matric, but I was interested in IAS. He told me that he will help me achieve this dream by giving his blood and sweat. This was my grandfather’s dream (too). He was a (police) inspector who wanted me to become an IAS officer,” he said.

“But when I heard the news yesterday, I thought my dream would remain unfulfilled. What will I do now? Should I take care of myself or my family? I am like other children, but now I am burdened by this catastrophe,” he said with moist eyes. He wanted the administration to help him achieve his dream of becoming an IAS.

Dar’s death left Naidgam village in a state of shock and anger.

“When we heard the news yesterday, the whole area was in mourning. There was crying in every house. This is a tragedy and pure barbarity. The attack is against humanity and brotherhood,” said Tariq Ahmad, an advocate and social activist from the area.

“Yesterday’s incident was cowardly and a terrorist act. Every home and every person is suffering. He was a person who would remain available 24/7 to anyone whenever anyone called him for help. What did he and the other workers do to deserve this fate?” said another villager.

Another resident neighboring the family classified the attack as unfortunate.

“Terrorists killed innocent people yesterday. He was a doctor and had no connection with politics, the state or the police. His only job was to save lives. This is a cowardly attack,” he said.