Muhammad Akbar is yet to come to terms with the shock of watching his young son, Ashiq Hussain bleed to death before his eyes.
Recalling his helplessness, Akbar says, “The army men fired him in chest. I took him in my lap, but they (army men) snatched him and let him bleed to death in the compound of the house.”
The last cries of his dying son still echo in 60-year-old Akbar’s mind. “I could only see him tumbling on ground with blood oozing out of his body. His screams for help, while struggling on ground, still haunts me. I was helpless and could not do anything.”
Akbar has spent his life working as labourer to feed his seven-member family. Living in a modest four-room mud house, the family aspired to build a proper house and to see Ashiq’s 20-year-old sister Shafiqa marry.
“We were living a simple life and never thought about the outside world. But these people (army) have snatched him (Ashiq) from us.”
Wailing over his death, Ashiq’s 50-year-old mother Misra faints after every few minutes.
Shafiqa and Shaista say government relief would not fill the vacuum created by the death of their brother. “We don’t want money. We want killers of our brother to be punished,” they say.
Meanwhile, an atmosphere of mourning prevails in Lesar village of Rafiabad over Ashiq’s killing. Many villagers used to call him Ashiq totla (stammerer) affectionately.
Although he was himself forced to leave studies midway (in class 8th) Ashiq aspired to provide better education to his young sister and to see another get married.
“Ashiq was very social. Although eloquent but he never mustered courage to speak before the elders. Even most of the people from our village didn’t know him well as he never used to roam unnecessarily with his friends,” remembers his childhood friend, Shabir Ahmad.
Shabir said owing to poverty Ashiq was spending majority of his time in household work after discontinuing his education few years back.
“We all three brothers are unfortunate for not completing our education. But we hope Shaista (youngest sister) would realize the dream of education and I would provide her full support,” Shabir recalls the conversation he had with Ashiq in recent past.
(C) Rising Kashmir
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