Terrorists render 4 minor siblings orphan
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Oct 29: Bullets of the terrorists not only killed truck driver Narayan Dutt but completely shattered his family of four children , who have become orphan with no one to take care of them.
“Before going to Srinagar, my father told us that he would return home on Diwali but we received his dead body this morning as terrorists killed him for no fault,” said sobbing 15-year old Tanya Sharma, elder daughter of the slain truck driver , who was gunned down by militants at Anantnag in Kashmir on Monday evening.
The slain truck driver, namely Narayan Dutt (45), a native of village Sera Kotla, near Kakriyal in block Penthal of district Reasi, had gone to Kashmir for supplying ration there and in return, terrorist sent home his dead body, which was handed over to the family members, early this morning.
A pall of gloom descended on the village as the body of Narayan Dutt reached home with relatives and villagers joining the bereaved family to perform the last rites. Everyone was in tears and became emotional as the slain driver’s youngest son, Bansh Sharma, who is just seven years old, broke down on seeing the body of his father while his two sisters, Sanya and Tanya, aged 13 and 15 years, respectively, wept inconsolably.
“We are four siblings and there is nobody to look after us now”, said the grieving daughters. Narayan Dutt’s wife had died some years ago and he was the only support to his children.
“What wrong he (Narayan Dutt) had done? He was there (Kashmir) to earn living for his children and not to harm anyone,” said Bansi Lal, the local Sarpanch, who appealed the Government to provide adequate compensation to the family besides job to the eldest son.
Deputy Commissioner Reasi, Indu Kanwal Chib who along with SSP Reasi Rashmi Wazir, personally visited the bereaved family, said that the District Administration would ensure all possible support to the orphan children.
“I have given my personal telephone number to paternal uncle of the children and asked the family to keep in direct touch with me at any time while help of ICDS is being taken to provide counseling to the children and monitor their education,” she told the Excelsior and also informed that cash assistance of Rs one lakh each has been provided to the family by the State Government as well as DC Anantnag. Officers of District Police Reasi also provided a contributory cash assistance of Rs 50 thousands to the bereaved family, said SSP Wazir.
Poor economic condition of the slain driver’s family can be further gauged from the fact that they have no bank account notwithstanding tall claims of the Government. Narayan Dutt’s only brother is a labourer and hence it is extremely difficult for him to feed two families.
Last rites of Late Narayan Dutt were performed by his eldest son Atul Sharma (17). A large number of people including BJP State president Ravinder Raina, former Minister Ajay Nanda, DC and SSP Reasi attended the cremation.
Narayan Dutt was the fourth truck driver killed by terrorists in Kashmir during the past three weeks. Earlier, an apple trader from Punjab and a labourer from Chhattisgarh were killed by the gunmen.
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