Photo: Aman Farooq/GK
When
Jehangir Ahmad Wani left his home on Wednesday morning to attend the
funeral of Muhammad Iqbal Peer- one of the two youths killed in army
firing Tuesday afternoon in Handwara town - little did he know that
hours later people would gather for his last rites.
Jehangir was returning home after attending the funeral of Muhammad
Iqbal Peer at ShallaporaDrugmulla when a police party led by an officer
chased them at Shatmuqam, his cousin Muhammad Iqbal Wani told Greater
Kashmir.
“There was no law and order problem when the policemen started
chasing us. As they were following us, we entered into a narrow alley.
They started teargas shelling on us and suddenly a shell hit Iqbal on
head and he fell down,” he said.
“As blood started oozing out of his head, I panicked and cried for
help. Suddenly a few women rushed to our help and we took to him to a
hospital where he was declared dead.”
Jehangir’s family lives in abject poverty which is evident from his
three-room window-less house. The family’s mud and brick house has
developed cracks on all sides.
According to locals, Jahangir couldn’t concentrate on studies due
to family’s abysmal financial condition and worked as sand digger to
earn a livelihood.
“He would do menial jobs to support his family as well as to
arrange money for studies of his three siblings,” said Nazir Ahmad, a
local.
“They (forces) have crushed all their hopes and dreams. He was the
lone bread-earner for his family. We don’t know how the family will
manage without him. Who will take care of them now?” he asked.
As Jehangir’s relatives were talking to Greater Kashmir team in a
tent erected in their neighbourhood, slogans for justice and punishment
to his killers were growing louder and louder in the locality.