Memory:My brother knew he would die a martyr Four years ago,my younger brother,Fida Nabi,left us forever.He was shot at by paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Shalteng Square in Srinagar during pro-freedom protests in 2010. Though years have passed but the memories of my brother haven’t faded away.I remember about twenty days before he was killed,I clicked pictures of my parents for election identity cards.And when I asked Fida to pose for a picture for his election card,he refused and said:“For what do I need election card? As if it is of my use.I am not taking election card with myself.I have to die as a martyr.”I took the worlds of the teenager lightly but now it seems as if he was aware that he would leave this world soon,very soon. Our childhood was spent in a rented house in Old City’s Kanimazar and strangely Fida would frequently go to Martyrs’ Graveyard in Eidgah and spend his time there.And,each time he would return from the graveyard,he would tell our father:“The place is so attractive.Check the smell of my clothes.See how good they smell.”My father would always respond with a smile.In fact,he had identified the burial place inside the graveyard for himself and had conveyed itto our father a month before his martyrdom. Fida was shot at in the face when two persons including his friend were shot dead.His friend,Anees,was shot dead at Narwor near Eidgah while another boy was shot dead at Zainekout locality. On that morning,our father had asked Fida to come with him to buy mutton.But,he had refused and said:“Daddy,people are dying and getting injured.And despite of this,shall we eat meat?”After attending his friend Anees’funeral,he had come to home and suddenly there were slogans and announcement on loudspeakers urging people to come out on roads and protest against the killings. Fida joined the protesters and then there was firing and he was also shot.But,he was shot by pistol.It was an intentional fire. After being hit by bullet on his face,he was taken to nearby JVC Hospital.But,he was saying to the boys not to take him to hospital but to his home.“I want to go home.Take me to mummy and daddy,”he had said. When boys came to our house to inform about the incident,they told our father that he had been hit by bullet and has sustained minor injuries.Our father had replied: “I know he won’t survive.He had promised me that he would die as a martyr. ”The day Fida was martyred;I was in Varmul covering stone-throwing protests.When I heard the news,I was completely broken.I left the spot and rushed to hospital.I remember before he was put up on life supporting system in SKIMS in Souvur,he had held my hand in his hand for thirty minutes silently.He had opened his eyes for a while when resistance leader Syed Ali Geelani came to see him.He shook hands with him and then he never opened his eyes. Fida was good at playing carom.He had gone out of state to participate in an eventand had won many awards.Long before his martyrdom,had had said:“Don’t wail on my death and wrap me in Muslim flag.”And,when he was martyred,he was buried along with a Muslim flag at the spot he had fixed for himself. The pain of his departure still makes me restless.I will never forget you,my brother. (Abid Nabi is Fida’s eldest brother and a photo-journalist based in north Kashmir.) is.gd/truecaller
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 07:07:06 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015