Srinagar, Oct 21: Celebrations were yet to sink in at Dr Shahnawaz Ahmad Dar’s home at Nayidgam in Budgam district. Last week, Dr Dar’s daughter got married and the family was readying to welcome her back as per the Kashmiri ritual known as fira. Celebration turned into mourning when they received the body of Dar who was supposed to attend the post-wedding ceremony of his daughter.
“He was supposed to rejoin us tomorrow to attend his daughter post wedding ceremony,” said his sister amid sobs and cries.
Five years back Dr. Dar, a father of three including two boys, had left his adhoc job to join Infratech Company. A dedicated doctor, he did not want his patients to suffer and thus left to join his duty. “He wanted me to become a doctor like him. I wanted to join civil services,” said his son Mohisin.
Three hundred kilometers away in Jammu Shashi Bhushan Abrol is inconsolable. A designer at the APCO Infratech Company, Shashi was the sole breadwinner of his family. Such was his confidence that he told his brother he felt safe in the mountains of Gagangir. Little did he know that terrorists would shatter his confidence.
“We are still in shock. I can’t believe that my brother is no more. He was the life of our family,” Manish said.
Mainsh had spoken to Shashi, just a few days before the attack and he was in his usual jovial mood. “There was no hint of any fear or worry in his voice. I can’t imagine how his wife and his two young children will cope with this loss. He was the breadwinner of the family, and now they are left to fend for themselves,” he said
From Kashmir to Jammu and from Gagangir to Madhya Pradesh, cries, sobs, and shrieks sum up the mood. Seven families have been devastated by this attack. The incident has sent shockwaves through the valley, leaving the people in deep sorrow and fear.
Six construction workers and a doctor were killed in a terror attack in Ganderbal district last night. The terrorists opened fire on a camp housing workers of a private company, who were building a tunnel. Two vehicles of the company were also torched in the incident.
The four other slain have been identified as Gurmeet Singh of Gurdaspur, Punjab; Mohammad Haneef from Bihar; Anil Kumar Shukla of Madhya Pradesh; Faheem Nasir of Bihar; and Kaleem of Bihar.
Condemning the attack, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha directed Chandraker Bharti, Principal Secretary of the Home Department to immediately provide financial assistance to the families of civilian victims of the Gagangir terrorist attack.
He has also asked the APCO Infratech company to release the compensation without any delay. The officials of APCO Infratech briefed the Lieutenant Governor on assistance being provided to the kin/family members.
Under SRE, Rs.6 Lakh is to be given to the next of kin of each martyred civilian, and Rs.15 Lakh as an immediate measure to be provided by APCO Infratech. An ex-gratia of Rs.2 Lakh is to be provided to all the injured.
Additionally, APCO Infratech will also provide financial assistance to the families of civilians on a roll under the Corporate Personal Accident Policy and 5 years of their gross CTC as compensation from insurance. All PRW labor and third-party employees are covered under the workman compensation policy and accordingly, financial assistance is to be provided. Lieutenant Governor said the Government and APCO Infratech company will ensure every possible financial assistance to the next of kin and other necessary support as required.
“Though it is an irreparable loss and cannot be compensated monetarily, we are taking concrete measures for the families of the martyr civilians so that they live a life of dignity,” the Lieutenant Governor said.