Conquerors of death, the keepers of our faith

Ummer Fayaz 23 years

For over two months Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz’s mother has remained silent, mostly. His father, Fayaz Ahmad Parray, is trying to take the life forward as he tends to his fields. “Beti kai khoni ka yeeh daag zindagi bhar rahi ga (the loss of my son has created a huge void in our lives. And it will stay there forever),” says Parrey. “My son had a dream to become an officer and I never knew this dream would cost his life.” Parrey has two daughters, both younger to Ummer. “Life has to move on,” says Parrey.

“One of my daughters is studying at Darul Uloom. After Ummer’s death, we sent her to the school, so that she gets out of the trauma,” recalls Parrey. “The other one is also studying.”

In the past two months, the family also solemnized the marriage of a relative from where Ummer was kidnapped by at least three militants in Shopian. Police investigation indicated Hizbul Mujahideen’s involvement. But the militant group denied the charge.

While the Army and district administration reached the family immediately, no politician from the ruling PDP-BJP alliance and local MLA Kulgam Mohammad Yousuf Taragami visited the family to offer condolence. 

The Army, on its part, has renamed the Army Goodwill School Behibagh as Shaheed Lt Ummer Fayaz Goodwill School.

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Feroz Ahmed Dar 32 years

When Feroz Ahmed Dar was killed in an ambush along with five cops, the J&K police went in with full force to trace the alleged mastermind of the attack, Bashir Lashkari. The militant was killed in a gunfight on July 1 along with his associate.

Abdul Raheem Dar, the father of the slain police officer, spoke to Feroz hours before he was killed. His son was busy handling law and order duty at Anantnag and had promised to return in the evening. His bullet ridden body returned at his newly constructed Sangam home.

“He was a generous man and helped people,” Dar said. “I have now two orphaned daughters Simran (5) and Addah (3) along with my wife and my daughter-in- law.” Dar, an employee in Public Health Engineering, says his priority is education for his granddaughters. “We have been assured by Director General Police that the two will be admitted to Delhi Public School,” he said. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and his deputy along with top police officer visited Dar's home to offer condolences. In 2010, Feroz joined the police as a sub-inspector after completing masters in Zoology. A year later he got married. Dar prays no one should suffer like him.

“Only a father knows what death of a young son means. Only God can help us.” The police officer had wished for peace. In one of his Facebook posts in 2013, he wrote: “ Oh God! When will we see normal Kashmir?”

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Mudasir Ahmed Rather 37 years

Mudasir, a resident of volatile Tral in south Kashmir, joined the Army in May 1999 and followed in the footsteps of his elder brother, Farooq Ahmad. Son of a former political activist Mohammad Afzal, Mudasir was married six years ago. The couple has two sons. “He couldn’t live long to see his new house,” said Rather's cousin Aashiq. “He studied at Navodya Vidyala, Aglar Shopian, where he developed interest in the Army.”

When the news of Mudasir's death reached Tral, the adjoining areas were observing a shutdown for the third consecutive day to mourn the death of three Jaish-e-Muhammad militants killed in an encounter at Wantinar.  As the body of Mudassir did not arrive the next day, the relatives and neighbours waited the whole day patiently for the burial. The family said Mudassir had come on holidays only some weeks ago.

“He joined the Army for the purpose of livelihood,” said Mudasir's father-in- law, Abdul Ahad, a shopkeeper, as tears came rolling down. Ahad says he will not stop anyone from joining the forces if any youth wishes to do so. 

Tral is also the native town of militant commander Burhan Wani, whose killing sparked five-month-long unrest last year that left over 90 people dead. Tral is also home to scores of soldiers of the Army. Despite being the epicentre of new-age militancy, a large number of people came together to condole the soldier's death.

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Mohammad Naseer 35 years

Naseer belonged to Ajout village in Haveli area of Poonch district and served J&K Light Infantry for 17 years. He belonged to the family of soldiers: most of his cousins and relatives are serving in the police, paramilitary forces and the Army. He is survived by his wife and two children and aged father. 

“I am proud of the sacrifice of my son. He was a Namak Halal who laid down his life for the country. I have lost my son and as a father will carry this pain till death, but he was a brave boy,” says Mohammad Razzak, Naseer's father. “More than mere employment, we feel it’s our duty to defend our homeland from scourge of terrorism”, says Mohammad Sharif, his uncle, a sub-inspector in the state police. 

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Satish Bhagat (21) & Ranjit Singh (32)

Bhagat belonged to Gurasnighu village on the outskirts of Jammu. Bhagat was martyred along with Lance Naik Ranjit Singh (pic) on July 12 when his patrol was ambushed in Keran sector of North Kashmir. Survived by his old parents, his two sisters, who got married recently and a brother who is unable to work following a road accident, the family is still inconsolable as they try to overcome the loss. His father Jeet Lal, a retired Armymen, hopes peace prevails in the region.

Inputs from Majid Jahangir & Sumit Hakhoo