Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, oct 21:
Last week, Shahnawaz Ahmed Dar, in his fifties, celebrated his daughter’s wedding at their home in Nadigam, Budgam, in central Kashmir. A dedicated doctor, Shahnawaz was committed to his role at the APCO Infratech company’s camp site near the tourist resort of Sonamarg in Ganderbal district. He didn’t want the workers there to suffer if they faced any health issues.
Two days ago, Shahnawaz, a father of three, traveled to the camp, promising his family that he would return on Tuesday when his daughter was to come back to her parents’ home, as per the Kashmiri ritual known as “fira.” Little did his family know that he would return not in joy, but in a shroud on Monday morning.
Shahnawaz was among the seven employees of the Infratech company who were killed in a terror attack on the workers’ camp near Sonamarg on Sunday evening. The camp is located along the strategic Srinagar-Leh highway. Five other workers were also injured in the attack, making it one of the deadliest on civilians in Kashmir in recent memory.
A pall of gloom descended over the entire village as the news of his death spread. The whole village mourned the loss of their beloved doctor.
“He was the most gentlemanly person in the area and a dedicated doctor,” said Shahnawaz’s cousin Tariq Ahmed, an advocate. “He had left an ad-hoc government job and had been working with the infra company for the past five years.”
Local villagers shared how Shahnawaz would always care for sick people in his community whenever he was home.
Ganderbal terror attack
His son, Mohsin, was in a state of shock, unable to comprehend the tragedy. “My father always encouraged me to become a doctor like him, but I wanted to become an IAS officer,” he said. “Now, all those dreams are shattered. How will we move forward?”
Shahnawaz had been the sole breadwinner for his family, which left them devastated.
There was visible anger among the villagers over the attack on innocent civilians.
“Seven civilians died in this attack, all of them working hard to provide for their families. What was their fault? Why were they attacked?” asked a resident from Nadigam.
Shahnawaz was laid to rest in a local graveyard amid heart-wrenching sobs and sorrow.
