Syed Asrar
On the 6th of August’s evening, I left my home to play in a park located near my home. I stepped into the park and saw Asrar playing Carom with some boys. I walked towards him calling out his name not knowing that it would be the last time to call out my closest friend’s name. Little did he know that he was about to start the most difficult battle of his life. I reached Asrar and told him “Hey let’s play some cricket”. We gathered two teams and started a cricket match recalls Muqeet Shah.
We were enjoying our cricket match as usual. Suddenly we heard sounds of tear-gas shells. All the people present in that park rushed towards safer locations.
After a while, few paramilitary force’s buses passed through the Main road near the park. We stopped our game fearing the consequences. After several minutes the rush of paramilitary buses stopped. Everything seemed normal.
Suddenly, two more buses drove through the road and fired tear-gas shells and pellets directly on the people present in the park. In that very moment, pellets and a tear-gas canister hit Asrar and he fell down.
Police could have given a warning
On 31st of July, a word got out that “Article 370 & 35A might be revoked”. It takes only a few hours in a place like Kashmir for news to hit on everyone’s door from north to south. On 2nd of August Principal Secretary (Home) issued a security advisory. It read: “Tourists and Amaranth Yatris to cut short their stay in the valley. Based on some Intelligence inputs of terror attacks”. Within hours Tourists and Yatris rushed towards Srinagar Airport or towards Bus stations. Things got more complicated on the 3rd of August as there was chaos everywhere. On the night of 4th August 2019, every sort of communication line was snapped.
As people woke up on the 5th of August there wasn’t any sort of communication. Not at to least call an ambulance. At about 10:00 am Article 370 & 35A were revoked. Home Minister of India sold many dreams that day. Among them, Development & End to corruption were two big dreams. But until today nothing has been done on the ground which could testify for Mr Shah’s claims.
People from various sections were arrested. Be it lawyers or presidents of various associations were shifted to jails far away from their homes. Qazi Shibli, Editor of a local news portal TheKashmiriyat was arrested and shifted to UP`s Bareilly jail. Qazi didn’t change his clothes for more than 57-days. On the 57th day, his brother and sister visited him with a few clothes. Shibli bought back that shirt which has 119 holes in it.
This explains the current condition of Media in the valley- Write something which won’t please the administration then be ready to face the consequences.
My friend didn’t know that it was the last inning of his life which he was about to leave in the midway after pellets entered his skull & one of his eye creating massive damage to his head.
Outside Kashmir, a seventeen-year-old won’t be shot just because he was playing cricket just like his counter-parts. Policemen should’ve given a warning but in Kashmir how does it matter?
This terrible incident left me traumatized
He was a very brilliant student. He scored 421 marks in matriculate examination and was always good at sports. But, how does it matter at all? We are all just terrorists for Indian security forces. Or else, they consider us as their sympathizers.
My friend fell on the ground in front of my eyes. His face & skull were in very bad shape. I can’t even recall that scene. It leaves me traumatized. What was his fault? Playing cricket? Do we need their permission to even breathe? Have they occupied our air too?
Known as Kohli in his neighbourhood, because of the love he had for current Indian Cricket captain Virat Kohli. Asrar always played admirable innings whenever you hand him a cricket bat. Many people who saw him playing told him that he possessed good batting skills.
Asrar wanted to become a doctor and serve his state. But he never knew one day he would end up in an I.C.U, with wires placed on his multiple body parts, connected to various machines monitoring his every single breath.
I never thought that such a terrible incident would happen with a person who was like a brother to me and leave me shattered. Now memories are all I have. We used to play cricket a lot and go for long walks. But now it’s very difficult to even walk a short distance from my home.
A siege which was imposed on people of the state on 5th of August`s morning didn’t end completely while government started saying everything is normal back in mid-September. J&K which was dismantled into two union territories, Jammu&Kashmir and Ladakh witnessed the longest Internet shut down for almost six months. High-Speed Internet hasn’t been restored yet by the administration in every district. Now Kashmir is under a double lockdown which started when Covid-19 first positive case from Srinagar city’s Khanyar area was reported.
Hospital record contradicts cops statement
On 4th of September, Muneer Khan ADGP (Law, order & security) and Chinar corps LT KJS Dhillon addressed a press conference. “You said no civilian casualty has happened in the past 30 days. But I learnt that a boy named Asrar Ahmad Khan was hit by pellets and succumbed to his injuries. What about it? “, a journalist asked Muneer Khan. The Kashmir’s top cop replied “Who told you he got injured in shelling? No shelling.No pellet injuries. He was hit by a stone. I am very sure about it. Later, LT Dhillon also addressed the question and said: “He was hit by a stone”.
The hospital records clearly stated that “Asrar was hit by pellets on his face, skull & his left eye. An X-Ray also confirms pellets on his skull, head & one of his eye (Left). In his hospital registration card’s observation column mentioned: “Multiple pellets on the head”. One of the pictures taken in the hospital clearly shows us little black dots, often caused due to pellets.
Went to play in a nearby park and returned on four peoples shoulders
Asrar’s body wrapped up in a white cloth reached his home. While boys who were carrying his dead body on their shoulder’s chanted Anti-India slogans. His mother was shocked and became numb. Her son who left home to play in a nearby park almost one month ago came back on four people’s shoulders. She tried very hard to wake him up by saying “Wake-Up Dr.Asrar, Oh Dr.Asrar wake up. Your uniform is ironed and waiting for you. Your books are waiting for you”.
I was returning from mosque at about 8:00 pm in the evening of 3rd September, I saw Asrar’s cousin with frightened face. I asked him “Is Asrar alright? In a very broken voice he replied “Your friend is no more”.
I didn’t believe what he said. So, I hurriedly reached SKIMS where Asrar was operated. When I reached outside the I.C.U, I saw one of his elder cousin and two men sitting on the bench. I asked them “Is he alright?” At first, they said, “Yes he is alright”. I approached the door of I.C.U. Nobody among them allowed me to open the door. Then the most tragic news whispered through my ear “Your Friend is No More”.