What went on at Salim Shaikh’s house?

Salim Shaikh, the hero driver who managed to save a lot of lives in the terrorist attack that took place on the bus carrying Amarnath pilgrims at Kashmir’s Anantnag on Monday night, is a resident of Abrama in Valsad and has been organising these tours for the past seven years.

Married to Sanjida Shaikh and a father of three – Armeen (3.5), Ayan (8) and Danish (12), Salim is a veteran on the Amarnath routes and did not hesitate to continue the return journey even after the military escort left them behind. 

In an interview with DNA’s Sharadkumar, Salim’s brother-in-law Javed Mirza relayed what went on in the Shaikh household that night.
Excerpts from the interview

How long has Salim been doing these tours?

Javed: Salim has been conducting these tours for the past seven years. He is a well-known face among returning pilgrims, who demand that he drive the bus they are travelling in. He sometimes even takes on the role of a conductor as and when needed. This year, as bookings for his bus fell short, two groups of pilgrims were clubbed together. However, thirty of these pilgrims demanded that they will go with Salim and no one else.

Considering the perils of the job in the sensitive area, how often did he call and inform of his day/situation?

Javed: Salim would call me every day between 8.20-830 pm and tell me what he was up to or how his day went or if he did or saw anything interesting. I would then relay the entire contents of the call to his mother, who stays with his family, and his wife and children.

Did he call you on the day of the incident as well?

Javed: Not at the usual time. However, when I did get his call at around 9pm or so, he sounded anxious and scared. This got me curious.

What did he tell you?

Javed: He started by telling me what had happened. He said that they were supposed to leave with the military convoy, but at the last minute realised that their bus had a flat tyre. This delayed them by nearly a half hour, by which time the escorts had already left. However, he didn’t think it would be a problem as he had been on these roads many times in the past and began the lone journey back.

How did he describe the attack?

He said that as they were driving down and were close to their destination, terrorists opened fire at their bus from the right. Afraid, but not unnerved, he started speeding the bus out of the area in hopes that he could at least get the pilgrims to a safe zone and possibly meet military personnel up ahead.

What happened next?

Javed: He told me that after driving for nearly two kilometres, they ran into military personnel, but not without casualties. He said that five-seven people on the bus were possibly dead, but that he was safe and uninjured. However, I didn’t believe that. It was then that he made me speak to Yogesh Prajapati, his friend who was also a part of the trip, who assured me that he was indeed safe.

How did you break this news to his family?

Javed: Despite him being safe and instructing me to relay the incident to his family, I remained mum until everything was clear and I was sure of his well-being. I went to his house and just asked the family to turn off the TV without telling them of the incident. However, Salim’s mother noticed my behaviour, but didn’t inquire much.

When did his family finally find out?

Javed: Almost a half hour later, calls inquiring about Salim’s well-being flooded the house. This is when his mother confronted me. I told her everything and had her speak to Salim. However, we kept Sanjida in the dark until about 12, and when everything became clear, I told her of the incident.

How does Salim’s act of bravery make you feel?

Javed: I am really proud of him. He didn’t see caste or creed and saved the people he was responsible for, the people who had counted on him to keep them safe. He really acted like a hero.