Another inspiring Kashmir tale

If suppression has lead to retaliation in Kashmir, here’s the case of Javed Ahmed Tak a resident of Bijbehara town, Anantnag district of South Kashmir, who has taken it upon himself to educate and help 40 disabled children from his area.

The most interesting part about his cause is that in 1997 unidentified gunmen had opened fire on him inside his house, leaving him partially disabled and wheelchair-bound.

Three buildings make up the school in this tiny town. “We are paying rent. We have made a few changes like constructing ramps for the benefit of differently-able children. We run classes free of charge and even take care of transport.

Currently, we are looking for a bus for the kids so we can pick them up and drop them home from school, as most parents are not willing to invest in a child who is differently-abled.”

Shazia, a girl with partial vision, is a prime example of the kind of children Tak has helped. After rapidly losing her vision, her parents gave up on her education. But thanks to Tak, Shazia has begun to enjoy her studies. “Now I can teach others Braille,” she proudly says.

Sitting in his school ‘Humanity Welfare Helpline’, miles away from Srinagar where most of the amenities are available, Tak says, “If I wouldn’t have been disabled myself I would not have realized the pains of my students. I don’t think the people who injured me will ever be punished but it has showed me the way to gave back something to the society which if I would have been alright would have not been possible.”

Tak was 21 in March 23, 1997, when some unidentified gunmen entered the house of his relative who was a political party worker.

The accused were looking for the relative but when they did not find him, they shot Tak who was there at the time. The bullet went through the ribs, tore into his kidney and liver. He underwent several operations. So much so that he couldn’t even sit or sleep properly as stitches were there almost over his body.