HEARTBREAKING| Asks villagers to retrieve body of his last family member—6-year-old youngest brother—from debris of the collapsed house
ARIF SHAFI WANI
Laden (Chadoora), Apr 2: Shabir Ahmad Hajam, 19, Thursday cried aloud near the graves of his 11 family members who died when their house collapsed due to a landslide in this area on March 30.
The inconsolable Shabir—now lone survivor of his family—tried to rummage through soil on graves of his beloved as some villagers tried to console him. “Why have you left me alone?” he yelled and nearly fainted.
Villagers including women in this hamlet—situated on a hillock—gathered around the graveyard and tried to console Shabir.
“You cannot change destiny. Have courage, you have a long life to live, we are all your family members now,” an aged villager told Shabir while kissing his forehead.
Taking a deep breath, Shabir urged the villagers to locate the body of his youngest brother Faisal (6) from the debris of the house which once stood on a hillock overlooking the graveyard.
“This grave is awaiting Faisal’s body,” he said, turning all eyes around, moist.
16 persons including 11 of Shabir’s family members were buried alive in a two-storey house after it caved in following incessant rains in this area of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district, on March 30.
“Fearing their house might collapse due to incessant rains, five family members of Shabir’s uncle shifted to his house as it was considered to be stronger. But as fate had it, they all were killed there,” said Ghulam Hassan Hajam, a relative of Shabir.
Tear rolled down the eyes of Shabir’s cousin, Nazir Hajam—whose five out of nine family members also died in the house collapse. Nazir stood silently behind Shabir as he, amid sobs, spelled names of his slain family members— parents, five sisters and four brothers.
Shabir’s father GhulamNabiHajam, mother Zaina Begum, sisters Naseema, Shahida, Shagufta, Bisma, Farida and brothers Riyaz, Bilal, Iqbal and Faisal died in the landslide.
On the fateful day, Shabir, who runs a barber shop in Nagam village, was at his rented accommodation there. Hajam family was making preparations for marriage of siblings— Shabir, Riyaz, Dilshada and Shagufta, scheduled after Eid-ul-Adha.
“Day before the tragedy, my father called me on phone and asked me get sweets and bakery items as the date of our marriage was to be fixed on Monday.
However, I was shocked when my cousin called me on Monday morning, informing me that my entire family was killed,” Shabir said. “It was unbearable to shoulder coffins of my beloved. I cannot bear their separation.”
The villagers demanded monetary relief to Shabir to help him sustain his livelihood. “His father worked as a laborer to meet two ends of his family. We hope the government will help him restart his life,” they said.
People from other villages converged on a serpentine road snaking between hillocks to the village to offer condolences to bereaved families.
“This tragedy has shocked us all. We have come here to share the pain and grief of the bereaved,” said Ghulam Ahmad, who led a group of people from adjoining Looripora village.
Torrential rains have cut off the village due to landslides at many places. People have to walk several kilometers on foot to reach the village. The villagers mince no words to accuse the government of failing to take measures on averting house collapses here.
They said landslides and caving in of earth pose risk to many houses in this village and adjoining areas including Doaba and Kralgam.
“Even after loss of 16 lives, the authorities have not taken appropriate measures to depute rescue or medical teams here,” alleged Muhammad Yousuf, a villager.
Deputy Commissioner Budgam, Altaf Ahmad, said efforts are on to prevent such “incidents.”
“Government shares grief of the bereaved families. Topography of Chadoora makes it vulnerable to landslides and earth sinking. Few days before the house collapse, we had asked people living in vulnerable areas including Laden to shift to safer places. Some of them agreed and we even provided them shelter,” the DC said.
He said Government has sanctioned Rs 1.50 lakh each to the next of kin of 16 victims in Laden.
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