Bahalnagar (West Bengal), Two of the victims in the Kulgam massacre were planning to leave the Kashmir Valley because of the worsening situation and had decided to board the train for home on Wednesday, but terrorists’ bullets snatched their lives a day prior to their departure.
Nayeem Ahmed alias Nayeemuddin Sk had in fact tried to board the train on Tuesday itself, but missed it.
Nayeem and Zahoor ud Din – both residents of this village around 230 km north of Kolkata under Sagardighi police station of Murshidabad district – were planning to come back home because of the gun fights between the security forces and police.
“He wanted to leave Kashmir because of the continuous exchange of fire there. When I spoke to him yesterday (Tuesday), he said he would leave today (Wednesday). He told me there was disturbance in some other areas,” Nayeem’s widow said on Wednesday.
“I told him to leave as early as possible. He said he would. He told me he had tried to take the train on Tuesday itself, but could not catch it.
“That’s the last phone call from him. Now I will never see or hear him again,” she said.
Zahoor ud Din was injured in the shooting that the militants started after making the workers stand in a line and succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters here before he was declared dead, his worried father said he wanted him to receive the best of treatment.
“We have not been told what happened and how. We are tense and apprehensive. Excepting a brief interaction with the police, our information is limited to what is being shown on TV,” said the old man.
He said his son had left for Kashmir 28 days back.
“He was supposed to board a train for home today (Wednesday). He told me as much,” the father said, still not knowing that hours later he would receive the tragic news.
