Sopore: The apple town of Kashmir—Sopore- wore a festive look today as the polling for the third and last phase of Assembly polls being held after a decade, caught a rare sight in the premises of a polling station in Brath Kalan area.
Two desperate could be seen in tears after casting votes as they made a fervent appeal to their militant sons to return and live a happy life with their families again.
For Ghulam Hassan Mir, whose son Omar joined militancy a few years ago and is on the run, voting is an opportunity to get what people can’t achieve through guns and grenades. “I urge my son Omar to return home and live a peaceful life with us. Gun’s vote yield anything for us. For the past 30 years, guns have taken lives and shattered the dreams of many fathers and mothers,” Mir said as tears rolled down on his cheeks. He said his son would come to know about his father’s message today.
“I know he will read my words in newspapers or listen to social media. I know his heart would melt. I know he will cry also. But I don’t know whether that would make him return to his parents again,” said an emotionally charged Mir.
He said he has cast his vote for the peace and development of Sopore. “If peace becomes a permanent feature here, nobody’s son would pick up arms,” Mir said, adding that there may have been a reason for his son to join militancy but now that things are getting back to normal.
“I request my son to take over the family business of Apples and live a peaceful life,” Mir said.
Mir got his companion, Muhammad Hamzah, whose son Bilal is a wanted militant like Omar.
“If my vote brings my son back, I will never miss this opportunity. I will vote again and again. I urge my son Bilal to return to his home. His parents are waiting desperately for his return. We don’t want to shoulder his coffin. We want to see him getting married,” said Hamzah, adding that “No father would die peacefully after shouldering the coffin of his young son. So I made a hand folded appeal to my son Bilal to please listen to my words and return them. Lets try to get back what has been snatched from us through votes. Guns are no solution.”(News Vibes of India)
