‘Bacha Kaisa Hain?’: Slain porter’s last words to his family haunt Boniyar village

Srinagar, Oct 25: A wave of grief and despair swept over Nowshera, a small village in Baramulla’s Boniyar, following the tragic death of Mushtaq Ahmed Chaudhary, a 27-year-old porter killed in the terror attack near Botapathri, Gulmarg recently.
The violence left a young child fatherless, an ailing father without his caregiver and a wife with shattered dreams — all left grappling with a tragic and uncertain future.
Mushtaq, the sole breadwinner for his family, was one of the five individuals, including three army personnel, who lost their lives in the attack. His loss has left his family in deep mourning, questioning the senseless violence that robbed them of their only support.
In his last phone call, made around 1 pm on the day of the attack, Mushtaq asked his wife, “Bacha kaisa hain?” inquiring about their only child, a three-year-old son. “He called to check on our son and then said he would call back. But his phone went dead. It never rang again,” his wife, struggling to contain her tears, shared.
Mushtaq’s sudden death has left a devastating void for his young family. He leaves behind his wife, a toddler son and a father who is suffering from kidney ailments and is bed-bound. “Our father is ailing, confined to bed, and now this tragedy has shattered us,” shared Mushtaq’s brother, who lives separately but rushed to be with the family after hearing the news.
“Why must innocent labourers, who are only trying to make a living, be targeted? Are we no longer safe just because we go out to work?” he said. “We want justice for Mushtaq. Authorities should see our condition and understand the pain of families like ours who suffer from such tragedies.”
Why should someone be killed for trying to earn a living, asked another family member.
In Nowshera, a village located around 18 kilometres away from the district headquarters Baramulla, the slain porter’s friends and neighbours remember him as a hardworking young man who took on the role of porter to support his family.
“His financial condition was never good,” shared Sheikh Muneeb, a neighbour. “He was the only breadwinner, struggling to provide for his ailing father and young son. He had just received a 20-day salary.”
Meanwhile, the villagers expressed a hope that authorities will take steps to ensure the safety of civilians and prevent such tragedies from recurring. “These incidents should not happen. We want justice for Mushtaq and hope such tragedies, which devastate families, do not repeat in the future,” grieving villagers said. (KNO)