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Survivors recall horror, agony for several years; hail LG for justice

JAMMU, July 13: Survivors of terror victim families today shared their long-suppressed grief and justice denied by the previous successive Governments as they received appointment letters for service in the Government departments from Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in a function held at Baramulla. Devastated by terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, the family members stood with tears, not in mourning, but in gratitude as their pain and long-ignored voices were heard after two decades or even more. They thanked the administration for giving them justice and dignity. Among them was Suhail Yousuf Shah from Kupwara district, who lost his mother and uncle to terrorist bullets in 2002. "So many Governments came and went, but no one cared about us. No one even asked what happened to my family," he said, holding back tears. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp "But today, we are very thankful to LG Manoj Sinha, who took this initiative. For the first time, it feels like someone is truly our own,'' he added. Suhail shared that his mother was blinded by terrorists before succumbing to her injuries. "I told my siblings, she's just hurt and will be fine. But since then, no one has even asked about us. Today, someone finally understood our pain,'' he said. After 26 years of unimaginable pain and silence, Raja Begum, an elderly woman from Kupwara district, finally received a long-overdue measure of justice. Begum, who lost four members of her family in 1999 for simply refusing to provide shelter and food to terrorists, recounted the horror of that night -- one that changed her life forever. "It was around 8 PM when they knocked on our door. They were masked, armed and demanded food and shelter. I refused," she recalled, her voice trembling with emotion. That refusal came at a horrific cost. The terrorists, she said, returned and murdered her husband Ghulam Hassan, her sons Javid Ahmed and Irshad Ahmed and her daughter-in-law Dilshada. "I was left alone. I begged for survival. There was no one to help, no justice, only fear," Raja said, breaking down as she spoke of her long battle for recognition and aid. Fayaz Ahmed Sheikh from Sheeri, Baramulla lost his 40-year-old father in a terror attack. "He stepped out in the evening and was shot dead on the spot. No one knows what we have gone through since," he said. His family, including a 7-year-old sister, lived in helpless silence for years. "All we got was a promise from a 12-year-old Government. The system made a joke out of our verification," he added bitterly. Sheikh also made an earnest appeal to the Lieutenant Governor, "Just as ST and SC communities have reservations, please consider the same for the families of terror victims. Let our children know that their loved ones sacrificed lives for this nation and the nation stood by them." He also requested the audience to remember the name of the man who finally made them feel heard. "Please remember the name of a great man who brought light to our darkest chapter -- Manoj Sinha." Similarly, Irshad Ahmad from Vilgam in Kupwara spoke with heavy emotion about his brother, a Special Police Officer (SPO), who was abducted from his home by terrorists in August 2004 and later found dead in a nearby orchard. "They took him away in front of us, and we were helpless," Irshad said. "We searched all night. His body was found dumped the next morning. Until now, no one came to ask us what we lost. But today, LG Manoj Sinha heard us, gave us space to speak and delivered justice,'' he added. Another victim, Asha Begum, a grieving widow from Taratpora Handwara, shared that her husband was taken away by terrorists in 1994 and shot dead near their home. "I was left with four daughters, alone and devastated. For 30 years, no one looked for us, no one remembered we existed," she said with tears. "But now, I thank the LG from my heart. For the first time, someone heard our voice,'' she added.

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