Srinagar- A narrow, dimly lit lane leads to the modest home of Abida, lovingly called Sumaiya by her family, in the Naidkhai area of Sumbal, Bandipora district. The air is heavy with grief; every eye brims with tears, and hearts ache deeply.
What moves everyone to tears even more are Abida’s three young children—a six-year-old daughter, Aubihiyah Zubair; seven-year-old older son, Zuhair Zubair; and the youngest, a five-year-old boy,Mohammad Hafi.
On November 3, Abida visited Srinagar’s weekly Sunday market to buy winter clothes for her children, unaware that it would be her last outing. She was gravely injured in a grenade explosion and succumbed to her wounds at SMHS hospital Tuesday afternoon.
Her children, too young to understand, remain unaware of their mother’s passing. “Why are so many people coming to our house?” Zuhair asked his uncle, who gently tried to console them.
As villagers gather in large numbers outside Abida’s home, Zuhair said, “My mummy went to the Sunday market to buy clothes for me and my little brother and sister. She promised me a blue jacket and long boots for winter.”
The women of the village embrace the three children again and again, their cries and sobs filling the air. Yet, the young siblings are blissfully unaware that their mother will not be returning.
Some people led the young children away from their single-story house, shielding them from the heartbreaking sight of their mother’s final farewell.
“These kids are too small to understand the meaning of death,” a grieving woman cried, clutching her chest in anguish.
“There is no safety for Kashmiris. Our neighbour Abida only went to Srinagar for shopping, but death snatched her from us,” a villager said.
“How long will these bullets and grenades keep snatching our loved ones?” he questioned.
“If Abida had known she would lose her life there, she would have never gone,” said Kulsuma, a neighbour.
“Who will take care of her children now? What have those responsible for this achieved? Kashmir is mourning every day. Every family here is grief-stricken,” she said.
Waseem Raja, the brother of Abida Kounsar expressed concerns about the safety in Kashmir, questioning why such attacks continue despite heavy security measures.
He urged the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, to ensure formal rehabilitation for the children and take action to prevent further violence.
Meanwhile, the deceased was laid to rest in Sumbal, where her natal family resides. Hundreds of people attended her last rites, with women wailing in grief, their sobs and tears filling the air as they mourned the loss.
The grenade attack on November 3 at the Sunday market near the Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) here had left 12 persons injured.
Police has arrested three terror associates of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit, who were involved in the grenade attack.
Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone, V K Birdi on Friday said the Srinagar Police solved the attack case with the arrest of three terror associates.
“The arrested persons have been identified as Usama Yasin Sheikh, Umar Fayaz Sheikh and Afnan Mansoor Sheikh. All three belong to the Ikhrajpora area of the city,” Birdi told reporters.
He said the terror associates carried out the attack at the instance of Pakistani handlers with the aim of disturbing peace and tranquillity.
“A case under UAPA [Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act] has been registered against the trio,” he added.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah expressed grief over Abida’s death.
They offered their condolences to the bereaved family and prayed that her soul rests in eternal peace. Their thoughts and prayers are with her three young children during this incredibly difficult time, an NC spokesperson said.
“My heartfelt condolences to the family of Late Abida who passed away today as result of the injuries she sustained in the terror attack (a) few days ago in Srinagar. May her soul rest in Paradise. My prayers for her three little kids,” Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi said on X.
In a post on X, PDP leader Iltija Mufti said, “Abida Sumaya, a mother to three children who succumbed to her injuries in the TRC grenade attack, isn’t just a grim statistic. Her death is a cruel reminder of how this never-ending cycle of violence continues to consume innocent lives. A raging uncontrollable fire that destroys everything it touches.”
Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari also condoled Abida’s death.
“Saddened to hear that a woman who had sustained injuries in the recent grenade attack near TRC has succumbed to her injuries. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family. May Almighty Allah rest the departed soul in eternal peace,” he said.
People’s Conference chief and MLA from Handwara Sajad Lone said, “My condolences to the family of Abida Sumaiya, who passed away after sustaining injuries in the TRC grenade attack. My thoughts are with the family who have to bear this irreparable loss. A mother of three children… May Allah grant them the courage to bear this loss. May Allah grant her Jannat.” (inputs from KINS)
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