Srinagar- In his childhood days, Musadiq Bashir from south Kashmir’s Awantipora found himself pacing restlessly by the roadside. The sight of a middle aged man with tattered clothes, long and shabby beard before him pierced his heart. Musadiq’s heart ached as he stood beside a man who had clearly seen better days.
Musadiq felt sad by the sight as he stood by a man who had clearly known better days.
Musadiq could not shake the image from his mind, even as he returned home to the warmth of his family and the comfort of a hot meal.
As he sat down to eat, the man’s face haunted him, a stark reminder that not everyone had a place to call home or a family to care for them.
This emotional experience marked the birth of Team Kashmir Youth Courage, or KYC. “Driven by concern for the destitute, I transformed this initiative into a grassroots movement aimed at restoring dignity to the marginalized,” Musadiq says.”
“This emotion marked the beginning of Team Kashmir Youth Courage or KYC, Driven by concern for the destitute, I transformed this initiative into a grassroots movement that aims to restore dignity to those who have been left behind by society,” Musadiq says.
Speaking to Kashmir Observer, Musadiq, an engineering student, said they started the initiative about two months ago. Other volunteers, including Yawar Rashid, Muhammad Tajamul, Sabzar Bhat, and Faizan Bashir, have joined their efforts.
Musadiq, who juggles his engineering studies with his passion for social work says he would see these people on the roadsides and would get disturbed by their condition.
As I enjoyed my evening meal, I couldn’t help but think of those with no one to care for them.”
Musadiq and his team first focused on non-locals who had found themselves in Kashmir, disconnected from their roots and lost to mental illness. The apparent signs were there—long beards, dirty clothes and a vacant stare that spoke of deep-seated despair.
“I understood that their physical appearance was only a symptom of a larger problem. These individuals had often endured tragedies that left them broken, leading them to abandon their homes and live on the streets in appalling conditions.”
One of the early cases that KYC took on was that of Mohammad Jeelani, a businessman from downtown Srinagar who had suffered a loss of 20 to 30 lakhs in a failed business venture in Nepal some decades back.
The financial blow plunged Jeelani into a deep depression, and he retreated into himself, isolating from his family and the world. His family, desperate to see him recover, reached out to Team KYC for help.
Musadiq says when he and his team arrived at Jeelani’s home in Nawakadal, they were met with resistance.
Frightened and confused, Mohammad Jeelani became violent, calling out to his wife, ‘Laali! Save me!’ Despite his outburst, the team remained calm and gently persuaded him to let them help with his appearance.
“We gently cut his hair and beard, and it transformed him into a man who had almost forgotten what it felt like to be seen, to be cared for. The transformation was striking—Jeelani emerged looking completely different, a small but significant step towards reclaiming his life,” he said.
Sajad Ahmed is another case that deeply moved us,” Musadiq Bashir said. “After the death of his father, Sajad Ahmed, from Fateh Kadal, fell into depression and is now left with no family members except his mother. He has lost his mental stability and is struggling with severe depression.”
“Most of the cases we handle are reported from Srinagar, and it is usually the family members who reach out to KYC for help. Around sixty to seventy percent of these individuals are homeless and they tend to relapse into their bad state if they are not properly cared for.”
Musadiq also mentioned that KYC has sought government assistance in establishing a center for those suffering from depression and homelessness.
For Musadiq and his team, this work is about more than just a change in physical appearance.
“We give them a new look, but their scars are way too deep. They need mental treatment for a happy life ahead. The victims have seen tragedy and mental illness leaving them to wander the streets”
He says the KYC team understands that the road to recovery is long and complicated, requiring not just physical care but also psychological support.
Thanks to social media platforms, Team KYC’s work has garnered attention, but Musadiq knows that they cannot do it alone.
“We need more resources, more hands, and more support from the government to truly make a lasting impact. A lot more needs to be done,” he said.KYC’s latest video on Musadiq’s Facebook handle painfully exposes a harsh reality of the team’s mission: aggression from those they desperately try to help. The scene depicts an elderly man violently attacking the team, refusing their assistance. Despite such encounters, the team continues to do what they can—one haircut, one bath and one life at a time— bringing a measure of dignity and hope to those who have been forgotten.
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