Wachkoo Hamid Iqbal & Muhsin Nabi Bhat

As for his family and relatives, Abrar’s sudden demise was absolutely shocking for us. The sheer negligence of medical authorities at SMHS was the cause of his death. Abrar had grave head injuries for which he needed medical care but instead he was declared as Covid-19 positive and shifted to the Chest Diseases Hospital, where doctors specialise in lung-related ailments. This senseless act of doctors needs to be punished so that it does not take any more lives. Such callousness on the part of doctors is tantamount to murder.
Abrar belonged to Shopian town, a place increasingly known for militancy and sacrifices. Abrar’s belief in the rule of law, though, was steadfast. Whenever we spoke to him about the indifference of the West towards Kashmir and Palestine, he would say, “I prefer optimism over cynicism. We should hope for the best, as giving up or escaping from problems won’t fix them.” He had great convincing power. He was a man of reason and intellect. But he never showed off. You could ask him any question and he would always answer with humility. Above all, he was a humanist who valued everyone. He never made anyone feel worthless. We were his friends but sometimes we used to envy him for the attributes he possessed.
Many of Abrar’s friends including us still don’t believe that he is gone. He was a champion for us, a role model and a shining star for the students at university. He was studying Law at Central University of Kashmir. Full of passion and enthusiasm, he was an active participant in debates, a lucid and articulate writer whose articles were published in various newspapers and magazines. He wrote on Kashmir politics, social and economic issues, and questions of law. He participated in two international conferences in Germany. Along with his team members, he won the second prize at the International moot court conference in Nuremberg, Germany. His demise is the demise of hope of all those who considered him as a role model.

The writers are friends of Abrar Reyaz from south Kashmir and students at NIT Srinagar

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