Bandipora attack: Children, parents, wives of two slain cops in life-time shock, say ‘Kashmir a living hell’

None could control emotions, when small kids bid final goodbye to their fathers in Kupwara, Sopore villages; These children will die every day, say locals

Srinagar, Dec 11: The perpetual strife is taking a serious toll on human lives in Kashmir be those from the security forces, especially police or the common people. While the Hyderpora encounter left two Srinagar families shattered leaving at least five orphans in a life-time shock, the children of two policemen killed in militant strike at Gulshan Chowk, Bandipora was no less shocking.

The two policemen were lone bread winners for their families, who left behind minor children and elderly parents. Policeman Muhammad Sultan (37), one of the slain cops in Bandipora attack, a resident of Shah Wali Muqam area of Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, was laid to rest at the native graveyard with a large number of people attending his funeral prayers.

Relatives of the slain cop said that he has left behind four children among them two (twins) who are barely four-month old, his wife, and an elderly father.

They said that he had joined the department back in 2009 and since then was the lone bread earner of the family. “He was a noble soul and now his family is left with no option other than to beg on streets,” the mourning relatives of slain Sultan told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO). “What will happen when these twins grow and when they will ask for their father,” said a relative pointing towards the two toddlers who were unmindful of their father’s killing.

Similarly, the relatives of second slain cop Fayaz Ahmad, a resident of Banpora Lalpora, Lolab in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district said that Fayaz was the lone child of their parents.

“He was not only the lone bread earner of his family, but rather the only child of his parents,” they said. “He left behind his elderly parents, wife, and four children. They are all in shock. Perhaps this shock will kill them all no matter even if they breathe and eat food, they would be worse than dead.”

A mourner at Fayaz’s house said that people of Kashmir know who takes care of children and wives of martyrs. “There is no one except God. Though during the four-days of mourning, all make tall claims about this and that, but later there is none,” he said amid tears. At the residences of both slain cops, none could control their tears when little children of slain were wailing over the coffins of their fathers, bidding final adieu to them.

Parents, wives and the children of both the slain cops in a state of shock and grief, however, were seen crying, “Kashmir is a living hell, we don’t want to live too….”

Earlier, the minor son of building owner of Hyderpora encounter victim, took internet by a storm when he was seen trying to wake up his dead father at a graveyard by saying repeatedly, “papa wake up, wake up, its prayer time, wake up, mom and didi is waiting for you.”—(KNO)