Budgam, Oct 21: A pall of gloom descended across the village of Nadigam as the wedding celebrations at the home of Dr. Shahnawaz Ahmad Dar turned into mourning. Dr. Dar, along with six construction workers, was killed in a devastating terror attack in the Gagangeer area of Ganderbal district on Sunday evening.
Dr. Shahnawaz’s daughter, Masrat Shahnawaz, had gotten married just a week ago, on October 15-16. Several other wedding rituals were still awaited, as Masrat had not yet visited her father’s home since the celebrations.
Tragically, the family now faces the devastating reality that Dr. Shahnawaz will never come back alive. The numb eyes, tears, and sobs were enough to determine the situation at Dr. Shahnawaz’s home, where he was laid to rest at his ancestral graveyard with hundreds of people joining the funeral procession and last rites.
“After completing my matriculation, I was urged by my father to pursue further education in the Medical stream, but since I aspire to become an IAS officer, my father told me that he will support me in any way to achieve the dream,” he said. “I have never seen a figure like my father, who after finishing his duties, would move from one ward to the other at SKIMS, Soura to see whether anyone needs any help.”
The entire village mourned the killing of Dr. Shahnawaz, who was known as a religious and kind man, always willing to help the people in need. “I cannot forget the services rendered by Dr. Sahab for the entire village. He would love to serve the people as their own family member,” the locals said.
Pertinently, several political and social leaders, including the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, visited the victim’s family at their home and expressed solidarity with them. The killings at Gagangeer were condoled widely, with the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and others condemning the attack.
