Gujjar boy from Tral village shines in Class XII exam

Majid Jahangir

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Tribune News Service

Srinagar, January 23

Hailing from the upper reaches of militancy-infested Tral in south Kashmir, he used to trek 22 km daily to reach his school. On holidays, he would work as a part-time construction labourer to help his labourer father meet the family’s daily expenses.

Despite hardships, Nazir Ahmad (18), a Gujjar boy, who lives with his five-member family in a kotha, a mud house, in Karmula village of Tral, has got a distinction in his Class XII exam, the result of which was declared on Thursday evening. Nazir got 423 marks out of 500.

Nazir’s family is still battling poverty as do most of the families in his locality.

He aspires to qualify the Kashmir Administrative Services exam, adding he studied in tough times.

“I had to walk 11 km to reach Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Tral. My teachers would appreciate me and encourage me to continue my studies. My hard-earned success has brought smiles on the faces of my teachers and my poor parents,” said Nazir, who was in hospital attending to his father when the Class XII result was announced.

The boy secured a distinction in arts stream. His best performance is in economics, in which he secured 94 marks out of 100.

Nazir says he deposited his exam fee after working as a part-time labourer for many days as his father could not afford the amount.

On one of his exam days, he says, he reached the exam centre half an hour late as he was travelling on foot.

“I remember I had to appear in Urdu exam and I reached the exam centre half an hour late. The reason for securing only 81 marks in the subject is because I was late and couldn’t write all the answers,” recalls Nazir.

Nazir did not take any tuition and studied at home.

The boy is all praise for his schoolteachers and says they always encouraged him to do better.