Suhail Bhat
Tral, July 17: Thirty seven year old Naik Mudassir Ahmad had promised his family that they would spend the festival of Eid ul Zuha together at the newly constructed house but news of his killing has left them shell shocked.
Mudasir was one of the recent casualties in the flare up at the Line of Control in Rajouri district. Heart-rending scenes unfolded at village Buchoo of South Kashmir’s Tral town after the news reached his home. Neighbours and relatives assembled at their house to mourn the killing of the soldier.
“I received a call in the morning that two persons have been seriously injured and later died and one of the dead was him. I immediately rushed to their house and informed them. I first could not believe it as he was with me last week. It was unexpected and abrupt. We are in shock,” Feroz Ahmad, a friend of him told Excelsior.
Just a week after Mudasir left home he told his family and friends that he was leaving for the last time as he was applying for the retirement. His friends said that he believed he had served long enough to get the sufficient financial rewards to spend the rest of his life with his family at a newly constructed home.
“Two years back he started to construct a new house for his family. He wanted to take retirement and live the rest of his life at his new house. However, nature has other plans for him. None can cheat death”, Javed Ahmad, one of his friends, said.
Mudassir Ahmad, a farmer’s son, took army as a career after he completed his secondary school education and was successful to improve the financial status of his family. Although he hailed from the most hostile areas of Kashmir, he never invited himself a trouble, “Such was his character. He was very simple and honest person. He has never hurt anyone. All he wanted was to make the life of his family better. He was a guy of great character,” Mushtaq Ahmad, his friend, said.
Bashir Ahmad, another friend of Mudassir said he spent the last month with him. “He told me how contended was he with his service and wanted to retire with honour and dignity. He served long and wanted to retire to give his family time. He was a very simple guy and had never invited trouble for himself. He was a revered person in our neighbourhood. I have lost a great friend in him. I will always miss him,” he said.
Besides two sons, he is survived by a wife, his parents and two brothers and was the only earning hand in the family. “He was the only earning hand in the family. I don’t know what this family will do know. Who will earn for them? God has snatched their source of income,” Farooq Ahmad, his uncle, said.
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