Kulgam youth’s suicide heart breaking, sends shockwaves across Kashmir

By: Afaq Bhat

Srinagar: A young man committing suicide in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district due to his father’s salary being withheld for the past two-years has sent shockwaves across the Valley.

The youth had recorded a video before ending his life. In the video he is heard saying, “My father is a government teacher and for the past two and half years he has not received his salary. I am sacrificing my life for the sake of all teachers, whose families are suffering like us and have no other source of income except the salary which heads of our family earn.”

“I pray to Allah to give patience to my family and others who have been pushed to the wall and are living their lives in misery,” the youth is heard saying.

The 24-year old youth about seven days ago from Avail, Kulgam had consumed some poison at his orchard, after which he was taken to Srinagar Hospital where he lost the battle of life on Friday evening.

As soon as the news of his death came, a video went viral on social media.

Chief Education Officer (CEO) Kulgam, Mohammad Ashraf Rather while talking to a local news agency KNO said that in March 2019, the administrative department did a verification in which father (Bashir Ahmad Mir) of the deceased got adverse report, “owing to that till date his salary has not been released.”

Ashraf said the teacher is posted at Government Primary School Avail, Kulgam.

An observer while talking to Precious Kashmir said, “The 24-year old youth committing a suicide due to his father not getting his salary is a heart breaking incident. Even if the government wants to take action against anyone, he/she should be given a chance to explain. To keep things lingering creates uncertainty and hits the families of such people directly.”

“At present people are fighting COVID-19 and are facing immense hardships such incidents can be prevented by warning the people, against whom any adverse report surfaces,” he added.

District President Teachers Forum Kulgam Sheikh Intikhab Aalam said there are 25 teachers in the district who are suffering due to long pending salaries.

Aalam urged Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) and LG Manoj Sinha to release the salary of such teachers on humanitarian grounds so that such incidents may not occur in future.

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