Mubashir Naik
The ill fated day of 15th May 2019, in the month of Holy Ramadan, Humera was enjoying her life and preparing for final year Graduation Exams. Her family members were busy in cooking delicious food for IFTAR (Post dusk Meals). Humera was working hard for her final year exam because her father had promised to send her to another state her for higher studies.After Iftar, the whole family was sleeping peacefully, when suddenly around 1:00 am somebody knocked at their gate. “When I woke up to open the gate, I saw my cousin on the gate. He was crying & said, ‘Somebody has killed Uncle in Nalthi area.This was enough to fluster my senses, thought mountains have fallen on me,” Humera said while recounting the horror of May 16, the last year when her father was killed by a group of cow vigilantees in the Baderwah District of Chenab Valley.
Humera’s father, Nayeem Shah and Azhar Ahmed, both residents of Killa Mohallah, Baderwah were travelling in a vehicle, when some persons opened fire on them near Nalti area, some eight kilometres from Baderwah town. Nayeem died on spot but his companion received splinter injuries. Speaking to The Kashmiriyat, Humera said that it was alleged that her father was transporting bovine animals in his vehicle.
ALSO READ: “Gau Rakshaks” Kill Father of Four Girls in Baderwah- Curfew Imposed
Speaking to a local news agency, the eyewitness, had said,”Nayeem Shah and he were were stopped by a ‘Cow Vigilantes’ near Nathi Pull area of Baderwah around 2:30 AM. They stopped us and shouted, “You are killing Gai Maata” and also accused us of illegally trading cattle in the area before rounding us and thrashing us to pulp, he said, adding, “we told them we were carrying horses, they did not listen to us and shot Nayeem with a 12-Bore Desi Rifle,” Yasir said.
Nayeem worked as a cattle trader. It’s being said that he was carrying some cattle in his vehicle at the time of the incident.
“My father was a labourer & had nothing to do with bovine smuggling. All these allegations are frivolous & baseless”. Humera is in a state of puzzlement if her father is still being called a cow smuggler as was at the time of his death.
“Wasn’t there any punishment for my father’s crime(if he had committed any) in Indian Constitution except death? & was it right for a common can take law in his own hands?.”
Day after suspected cow vigilantes killed Nayeem, Bhaderwah town in Doda district, witnessed huge communal clashes between the two communities & Administration was forced to impose curfew in Bhaderwah town and restrictions in other parts.
On the Very next day Jammu Kashmir from their twitter handler tweeted, “Some media channels are wrongly reporting murder of a person in Bhaderwah as incident of alleged killing by cow vigilantes. Such irresponsible reporting is strongly rebutted as no such info has been confirmed during investigation so far.”
“Neither the accused is identified nor is the motto of killing known so far. Such reporting which has got law and order mplications is rebutted,” said another tweet.
The Kashmiriyat broke into the news and days after the news was published in National newspaper that J&K police refuted the involvement of cow vigilant in Nayeem’s murder case.
Nayeem is survived by his wife and five children, four girls and a son, three daughters are married while his remaining children Humera & Nadeem was studying at thhis time. “After our father’s killing, we have suffered alot. I was forced to stop my studies due to financial weakness, My Younger brother Nadeem was studying in 9th class at that time but his education too suffered a lot.Being the lone brother of four sisters, all the responsibility fell on him”, Humera told The Kashmiriyat
Nadeem’s mother is suffering from different kinds of diseases such as Disc, Diabeties, Thyroid, Uric Acid. It is impossible for Nadeem’s mother to get any specialized treatment due to the existential financial crunch. “The cost of the medical expenses of my mother is nearly Ten to fifteen thousand rupees every month.”
Humera feels betrayed from his own Muslim community for not coming forward to help them. “It seems that humanity has died and we have been left to the mercy of Allah. We have seen on TV channel and Social media that NGOs are helping poor & needy people, but nobody approached us.”
Speaking to The Kashmiriyat, Humera is feeling dejected from the Government. “At the time of our father’s death the local administration promised us for Government Job and relief, but one year has passed since but we have received nothing.
“We have not lost our hope & fight for Justice yet. We still think that the Government will help us both financially & legally by punishing the culprits”.
The family speaking to The Kashmiriyat said that the approached the DC office Doda regarding Nayeem’s murder case, but the office has never shown any positive response to our suffering.
With Eid at doorsteps, and Nayeem’s first death anniversary, Humera is in distress & confused on whether she should celebrate Eid or not and if she ever should, how to do it without money. She appealed Government of Jammu Kashmir, special LG Governor Girish Chandra Murmu & DC Doda Dr. Sagar D. Doifode to take their case seriously, so that justice is served.
Radical cow protection groups in India have killed at least 44 people over the last three years and often received support from law enforcement and Hindu nationalist politicians, according to a 104 page report from Human Rights Watch. The report further said that, 36 of the dead were members of India’s Muslim minority. About 280 people have been injured in more than 100 attacks between May 2015 and December 2018.