18 years passed, victims still craving for government attention

PS Bali

Jammu Tawi, April 13

Killings, encounters and grenade attacks are all what the people of Jammu and Kashmir have witnessed for past two decades. Many youths were killed and many injured during epoch of militancy.

When the militancy was on its peak, widows, half widows, orphans, handicapped youths and razed houses were the picture of Jammu and Kashmir and even after decades this militancy could not be eliminated from roots.

Same happened with Rakesh Kumar, who lost his limb in one of the major terror attacks in Jammu.

Rakesh, son of Parshu Ram and Sheeto Devi, a resident of Ramgarh on the fateful day of 7 October 1992, lost his leg in an explosion that rocked Jammu.

“On October 7, I boarded a bus from Ramgarh to Jammu to have registration form of class 10^th_, from JK Board, when on reaching Digiana, a powerful explosion occurred and I went unconscious and when I retrieved conscious I found myself in the Hospital,” sobbed Rakesh.

He added that all other passengers were around me crying with pain and same was my condition. In that blast both my legs sustained serious injuries and the condition was as such that doctors have to lop off my one leg to save my life, aggrieved Rakesh, with tears flushed out of his eyes.

Resented with government apathy, Rakesh lamented that despite of such a mighty blast in which many feared have lost lives and others lost their important limbs, the government to subdue their flaws presented just Rs 25, 000 to each, which was sheer joke with injured passengers.

In that blast I lost my leg, but the Rs 25000, presented by then, Governor, GS Saksena was like he is making fun of injured.

“The relief that we received from the government was subtle before the expenditure that my family incurred on my treatment. We lend money from all relatives and neighbours to continue the treatment,” he said.

It’s been 18 years in trauma, since the tragedy occurred but no body from successive governments showed any concern towards us, Rakesh lament.

It is uncertain to imagine what would be the next design of nefarious terrorists and who will be the next target of these anti-national elements and when will another mother loses her son, another wife her husband and another son his father.