Srinagar, Jan 31: Hordes of anxious people thronged the Police Control Room here this evening to identify the nameless teenager killed by a tear gas canister in old city.
Policemen manning the PCR’s main gate refused to allow the people inside saying, “We  cannot let you in as we don’t have orders.”
In the meantime, the gate was opened to pave way for the cavalcade of a senior police officer. Anxious people stood in front of his car. “Please let us identify the body” they pleaded. Finally the people were let in.
Moving towards the mortuary, Ghulam Rasool of Parimpora puffed a cigarette. “Oh! God please save Kashmiris from experiencing the unbearable pain of identifying the bodies,” he said. As the people moved closer to the mortuary, they started to slow down.
 “Many boys of our localities are yet to reach home. I hope with the grace of Almighty Allah they will be safe,” said Abdul Majeed of Iddgah.
 Policemen were completing formalities outside the mortuary. “We didn’t recover an identity card for him. We have to guard his body till he is identified,” a policeman said.
 When his colleague opened a compartment of the mortuary, people started to chant “Ya Allah Raham (Oh God have mercy on us).”
 As the shroud was opened, every eye turned moist as a pale innocent boy lay still.   
 Blood was still oozing out from his heavily bandaged head. Clad in a brown phiran (traditional Kashmiri cloak), the nameless youth seemed to be in a deep sleep. Some youth took his photographs with the cameras of their cell phones. 
 “One more Kashmiri family has lost a son today. His parents must be eagerly waiting for him to return. But little do they know that he is no more,” a youth said.
 “We pray that he shouldn’t be buried nameless,” he said and broke down.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 31 Jan 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 31 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 1 Feb 2010 00:00:00 IST