If with every passing day I feel the absence of Qayoom with greater intensity, then this person must have been of a special importance to me. He was definitely a person with great social contributions who died two months back after fighting a dreadful hepatic malignancy. Qayoom was not a politician, though he was born and brought up in the family of late Bakshi Ghulam Muhammad, the second prime-minister of J&K state. He, unlike his cousin, Bakshi Zameer, had kept himself aloof from politics. Zameer had a love for political activities while as Qayoom Bakshi loved the poor and needy people.
My first interaction with him was 30 years back when he had come to donate blood for a patient who was struggling for life and the only way to save him was a blood transfusion. I had got an announcement made on Radio Kashmir about the need of blood donation. Qayoom has listened to the radio and had come to save the patient who he never knew. This blood donation was not his first one. Nor was it his last donation. He was destined to donate blood 39 times during the past 20 years. How rare! How great! He lived for strangers. He could have lived a princely life given the level of his affluence and social status. But he had chosen to live with common people.
Once a poor patient from Kupwara had a severe infection (septicemia) and needed about Rs. 5000 to purchase anti-biotics, not then available in the hospital. The patient expressed his inability to spend an amount which was definitely too big for him. Qayoom had incidentally come to see me in the ward and had overheard my discussion with the patient. He took me away and offered Rs. 7000 as cash, asking me to hand over the amount to the patient. He stressed that the money be given to the patient when no other person was around him.
Qayoom promoted blood-donation culture and remained closely associated with various groups playing a great role of philanthropist. He remained associated with Cancer Society of Kashmir and did a great job for the disabled, diabetics, patients suffering from malignancy and so on. He also remained active in Lion's Club. His son, Umar Bakshi, who is working in USA told me that he would be happy to carry forward the legacy of his esteemed father, so that the mission does not die.
Qayoom had a feeling for poor people since his childhood. His brother Mr. Nazir Bakshi while recollecting Qayoom's childhood innocence says that Qayoom used to fetch bread every morning for the family, and the monthly bill of the baker would be disproportionate to the actual cost of the bread consumed. When questioned about this disparity in the bill, he fearfully revealed that he would purchase extra bread for a poor widow residing in their neighborhood. God bless such a soul!
He was found of Kashmiri Sufiana Kalaam and I had on various occasions been with him in such gatherings. He would love to listen to the singer, Ghulam Ahmad Sofi. He seemed to be in meditation with God with tears in his eyes while in a Majlis-i-mosiki. The Cultural Academy too had honored him with Ahad Zargar Award for promoting Kashmiri artists. When his cousin, Nasar Bakshi disclosed the news of his death to me, I felt a huge number of patients had lost an affectionate friend. He was a man with dedication and devotion. Let us not forget him.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 IST