SHOPIAN: Kashmiri Muslim neighbours ran to the orchard of the Nath brothers once they heard gunshots from that route. They have been the primary to witness the bloodied physique of Kashmiri Pandit man Sunil Kumar Nath and his wounded brother Pintoo, who have been shot a number of occasions by a masked Pakistani terrorist in Chotigam village of south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Tuesday.
Later, a whole lot of individuals from the bulk group within the close by areas gathered on the funeral of Nath — a 45-year-old father of three daughters and member of a handful of households who stayed behind in Chotigam throughout the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits within the top of militancy within the Nineteen Nineties.
Nath’s Muslim neighbours made all of the preparations for his final rites and in addition took Pintoo to the hospital. Girls rushed in droves to Nath’s house to console the bereaved.
On the funeral, the villagers shouted unity slogans and known as for an finish to the bloodshed.
“We have always lived here peacefully and shared our grief and celebrations for decades,” mentioned a Kashmiri Pandit in Chotigam. However back-to-back assaults in 4 months have introduced concern and a grim reminder of the terror-filled 90s, he mentioned.
“Guards were deployed here again in April, but how can they provide us security when we go to the market or students go to school? We can’t stay confined to our houses. We have to go to our farms, orchards or for other work and earn a livelihood. We will die of starvation,” he mentioned.
Sentries have been guarding Kashmiri Pandits in Chotigam until 2016, however the safety was scrapped throughout the turmoil following the killing of terrorist Burhan Wani. The folks had declined a number of gives for restoration of safety, as they didn’t really feel any menace — till this April when a preferred chemist within the village was shot at.
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