Srinagar, June 21: Killings have been frequent with the Bangroos’. As fate would have it, since the eruption of turmoil in early 90’s, seven members of the family were killed by the troopers. Latest being Rafiq Ahmad Bangroo who died two days ago due to “ruthless beating” by paramilitary CRPF.
While unending queues of inconsolable women mourn Rafiq’s killing in his modest house at Noorbagh, his aged father, Abdul Ahad Bangroo, stood emotionless.
“We have shouldered coffins of seven of our beloved family members in past two decades. Killings are not new to us,” Abdul Ahad told Greater Kashmir as tears welled in his eyes. But he controlled his emotions.
Counting on his fingers, the elder Bangroo vividly remembers each of the victims. Bangroos’, he says had first brush with tragedies in 1990, when one of its members, Ghulam Rasool Bangroo was subjected to enforced disappearance by the Border Security Force. And other Bangroos, Javaid Ahmad, Rauf Ahmad, Abdul Hamid, Muhammad Rafiq— all died in indiscriminate firing by troopers.
“They were all innocents and died in similar circumstances. We were yet to recover from the shock, when my son, Rafiq and close relative, Javaid Ahmad Malla also become preys of troopers,” he said. Taking a deep breath, Ahad says, he won’t press for punishment to his son’s killers neither accept compensation. “I have full faith that Almighty Allah will deliver justice by punishing my beloved’s killers. Nothing can compensate my son’s killing. No father will do sellout of his son’s blood,” he asserted.
He justified his decision to bury Rafiq in his ancestral graveyard at Dana Mazar instead of Martyrs graveyard at Eidgah. “I did not want more fathers to shoulder coffins of their sons,” he said.
Elaborating he said, “Had I allowed burying the body at Eidgah, the youth would have clashed with troopers and there would have been more civilian causalities. Unfortunately, despite precautions, my fears turned true as troopers opened fire on Rafiq’s funeral procession killing Javaid.”
Without mincing words, Ahad says, Rafiq and his other son Hilal worked like laborers to support the family. “After failing to get through the matric, they helped me in weaving shawls. Rafiq worked hard to clear our huge bank debts,” he said.
Pointing towards a loom in a small room, Ahad said Rafiq on the day of his killing had started weaving a shawl. “See how delicately he had woven the shawl base. He was a master craftsman - but he left the shawl and my dreams half way,” Ahad said in a chocked voice.

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