‘Kashmir’s existence is Kashmiri youth’
‘Omar Abdullah has not only
failed himself but entire youth of Kashmir’
Kashmir Floods 2014 took
much from the people, but at the same time it has given us heroes whose acts of
courage and compassion would be remembered. Sajad
Mohiuddin Sheikh, a lawyer by profession, made an early start to rescue people
even before Srinagar city got submerged on September 7. A resident of
Sopore, Sajad received his early education in J&K only and later for
specialization in Immigration Law had to go to London. The brave-heart helped
rescue more than 3000 people in the days after September 6th. He still works
rigorously to provide relief to the flood affected people. Aboard a truck carrying
relief to Zalpora, Sumbal, Sajad shares his experiences with the Rising Kashmir Online Editor Daanish Bin Nabi.
·
How did you start the
rescue work?
On September 5th, I was sitting at my Rajbagh office along with my
friends. We came to know about Hamdania colony of Bemina has been
flooded. We started with an initiative, were my friends volunteered to
give food to around 300 people of that area. We decided to provide them with
lunch and dinner. On that very day we rescued some labourers and shifted them
to a school in Tengpora area. We provided them with some tents which we had
arranged with difficulty. After doing this voluntary work for two days,
the news came in, that whole Srinagar city has got submerged. When the city was
deluged, I visited Natipora. It was midnight, September 6, and what I saw was
heartbreaking. People were crying on roads. More than 100 students at a
madrassa in Natipora were also trapped. I tried my best to rescue these
students, but could not. There were no boats, no administration. Helplessness
was all around and only chaos and confusion was from every side. That very
moment I thought that we need to do more to help people and that was the kick
start for me and I jumped into the rescue operation.
·
From which place, locality
did you start rescuing people?
We started rescuing people in Srinagar city from September 6th to
September 14th. Our day started from 5 AM in morning and ended up at 11 PM in
evening. On the very first day we rescued around 262 people from Tengapora and
the other lane which goes to Batamaloo. We also rescued 400 people from Lal
Chowk. We rescued people from Exchange Road, Rajbagh, Jawahar Nagar, Shivpora,
Indira Nagar. We also rescued people like Bindroo, who owns Bindroo medicate a
leading pharmacist of the valley, his son Sidharat and others.
·
How many people were you
able to rescue?
On average, we rescued between 150 to 200 people every day. For
first nine day we rescued people from gushing water and you can get a fair idea
of the number of people we saved. Did you worked individually or with a group?
At first, I was only with my best friend Amir Rashid. He had also got separated
from his family due to floods and was working with me while we were rescuing
people. He was with me when on first day when we rescued 262 people.
·
Who else was in your team?
On 3rd day of the deluge, I was joined in by Editor Shujaat
Bukhari, Mohammad Ali Lone who is a KAS officer in Agriculture department and
Mumtaz Awaan. All of them worked tirelessly every day to rescue people from various
parts of the city. About Shujaat sahib I can only say that we don’t have such
editors who would come on road and work for the people him. The same goes for
administrative officer like Lone sahib who worked day and night. Lone sahib who
is in fifties, he along with Mumtaz Awaan used to pull the boat loaded with
people in 10 feets of water. I do not have word to express my gratitude and the
courage these brave men showed. I hope Kashmir has few more men like them; then
only we can change our destiny. Soon after this we all came under the banner of
Rising Kashmir Foundation and named our efforts as 3 R (Rescue, Relief and
Rehabiliation) Initiative. Since then we have not looked back.
·
Which was the most
difficult rescue you made?
We rescued one 71-year-old lady, Dulari Bhan, from Exchange Road,
who was hungry, without medicine for more than 10 days. We had to swim for 150
meters to get to her then had to break the iron railing on a window on the
ground floor. It was only after we broke through the window of her ground floor
that we managed to get her on our boat. For the night, she stayed with the
family of Shujaat sahib and then on next day she was received by her daughter
after which they flew to Delhi.
·
Did your team rescue people
on the basis of any priority like local/non local?
Our intention was not only to serve or save Kashmiris but humanity
without differentiating between Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Kashmiri or a tourist.
Whosoever, came our way we rescued him. Among the people we rescued are 63
people from Yatri Niwas in Lal Chowk. All of them were Hindus from different
parts of the India. In them were 45 students who had come to Kashmir for AICTE
counseling. We also rescued tourist from Lal Chowk including JKTDC owned hotel
Lala Rukh. We even gave medicine to CRPF 177 Battalion opposite youth hostel
near Town Square Jawahar Nagar.
·
What motivated you while
you were rescuing people?
The plight of people which I saw at Hamdania Colony Bemina
motivated me all along. After seeing people cry and as no one came to their
help and army was yet to be called in the city, it moved me. The volunteers
were yet to come, however the youth of Kashmir were doing their work by walking
on the walls of houses, some innovative boats they had made and were trying
their best to save people. The helplessness which I saw motivated me. How did
you rescue people during days of floods? I went to Delhi, bought a boat and
started rescuing people from different localities of Srinagar city.
·
You bought the boat?
Yes, for two lakh twenty thousand rupees.
·
Did your family allowed you
to go for the rescue?
My family did not allow me to leave at first, however, I managed
to convince them that people needed help. My mother did not allow me to go as
she was very frightened but when I explained to her the plight of the people
she then permitted with the advice that I should take care of myself before
helping others.
·
National media showed Army
doing most of the rescue work?
For first three days neither Indian media nor international media
can claim that the Army was rescuing anyone. Army only worked in Jawahar Nagar,
Rajbagh and Wazir Bagh but their claims of rescuing everybody are false. And if
we compare their work with Kashmiri youth it does not fit or come any close to
their (youth) efforts. They only did their job in only five percent of the
total area of Kashmir. Yet they did not rescue all the people in these five
percent. It was the local volunteers who saved their brethren. Army boats
carried about 25 people and 12 of them used to be the Army men themselves. But
CRPF of Nowgam rescued some people. NDRF also did their job but again they were
also helped by local volunteers.
·
How do you see other
volunteers of Kashmir?
For me Kashmir means Kashmiri youth. After this disaster,
Kashmir’s existence is Kashmiri youth. If Kashmir is still going and fighting
it is only because of the Kashmiri youth. While all this was going on where was
the state administration? The administration of Kashmir was flooded before the
floods came. There was no one on ground, there was nobody to help people, and
even at police stations no one was performing the duty.
·
In all this how do you see
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah?
Omar Abdullah has not only failed himself but the entire youth of
Kashmir. He was dropping maggi from his helicopter. He doesn’t seem to have the
foresight as he could not get it that people don’t have water to make that
maggi. I think he himself knew that Army was not doing a good job.
·
We heard the Sikh community
also saved many people?
For me they are Sikhs later and Kashmiri first. They saved their
brethren without caring for their own lives. Sikhs opened Guruduwaras for
Muslims same like Muslims threw open Masjids for Sikhs. We are all same and
this land belong to all of us. We stand for each other, and in this disaster we
proved that we are not divided on communal lines in Kashmir.
·
Any future program about
the relief and rehabilitation of the people?
We tried to help people with rice, oil, blankets, pulses and other
edibles. We are working out a strategy where in we are also thinking about
providing shelter to the people who have lost their homes. We have made a
blueprint for the temporary shelters and will soon unveil it. Under R K
Foundation we are working in a systemic manner and so far we have reached out
to 10,000 families in South, Central and North Kashmir with relief. I must
thank my colleagues Omar Shafi Trumboo, Director TCI, Shuja ul Haq, journalist,
Sajad Ahmad Lone (Bandipore), Emran Yatoo, Aamir and all young volunteers who
did not sleep for many days. In all these relief programs we got a
powerful support from Assaddudin Owaisi Sahib MP Hyderabad, Rotary Club
Coimbatore Spectrum, Kasturbha Gandhi Memorial Trust and Kashmir Relief Centre
Delhi. We are looking forward for more help from them and other organisations
also.
·
Do you think we need
international aid to rebuilt Kashmir?
If government of India and State government do not have money then
they should arrange it no matter from where. If it can be fulfilled by
international aid then get it. What is important is the aid or resource and
from where the government gets it is their headache. Whosoever can fulfill it
should do it. We need monetary aid to recover the losses, and that’s the bottom
line.
