After 12 long years, Tariq Ahmed Dar embarks on a journey full of happiness with his family in Srinagar
Tariq Ahmed Dar had nothing but hope to cling on to all these years. Accused of being involved in the 2005 Sarojini Nagar Blasts, Dar spent 12 years in jail before he could walk out of it as a free man. When asked, what he would do now, Dar said he cannot wait to meet his daughter on her birthday and celebrate as it is the first birthday celebration of his daughter since she was born that he will be a part of.
"I am planning to give my daughter a big surprise on her birthday. I met her only once when she was one and a half years old. I want to share her love. I want to meet my family who has suffered all these years and supported me through thick and thin," Dar said.
His daughter, Fatima Jaan, who is going to turn 11 on February 27, was born three months after her father was arrested in November 2005 on charges of hatching the conspiracy to conduct blasts in Sarojini Nagar and terror funding among other charges.
Dar, who used to teach students in his neighbourhood, expresses despair that he could not teach his own daughter.
While Speaking to DNA on the day he was released from Tihar jail, he says, "It was disheartening to know from the people at the jail that my wife had delivered a baby girl. I am thankful to my family for keeping faith in me and giving me strength. They never told me about their suffering and faced it all by themselves. I was destined to be in jail but my wife and entire family were silent sufferers," he said.
When asked about his future plans, he said, "I want to continue my Masters degree (MA) which I was pursuing while in Tihar. I also want to continue teaching. I taught English to the inmates at Tihar. But I do not rule out the possibility of helping the victims who have been framed like me," he said.
Unlike the other two accused —Rafique Shah and Mohammad Hussain Fazili, who were also acquitted of their role in the blasts — Dar said he loves Delhi and the people who have been nice to him.
Meanwhile in Srinagar, Dar's family has planned a grand welcome for him.
"Since Dar's acquittal, my daughters have stopped going to college, and they have been decorating his room. Every hour they would ask me about Baba as they address him. The entire family's wait would be over after so many years," said Mohammad Ayub, Dar's elder brother.
With a new hope and faith, Dar now embarks on a new journey with his family. He says, he wants to visit his father-in-law's grave as soon as he lands in his hometown.
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 "Tariq Ahmed Dar")
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