Muslim friend becomes eyes and ears for pandit friend in Pulwama village

MUDASIR MAQBOOL

Pulwama: A Muslim friend has taken over as a guide and crutch for his Pandit friend in Wahibugh village in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district who lost his eye sight due to diabetes.

Paray Lal Pandita, who lost his eyesight due to diabetes three years back. Since then, help is always needed for him to move around.

“I was diagnosed of diabetes 10 years ago and 3 years back after a stroke, I lost my eyesight,” Paray Lal said. Adding “There is hardly any vision in one of my eye and the other eye has very feeble sight.”

He had undergone a surgery but couldn’t regain his eyesight.

Even though his son is always there to help him, but his Muslim friend Bashir Ahmad Dar has taken over the duty to be by his side always and become his guide and crutch.

It’s Bashir who for years now hold his hand and and walks him round the village.

Paray Lal’s family said that whenever he desires to go for a walk around the village he sends a word to his Muslim friend Bashir Ahmad, who comes rushing within no time.

“It is not only me who helps Paray Lal to walk around, whenever I am not present at home he phones my brothers or anyone from the Muslim community who make themselves present at once,” Bashir Ahmad said. Adding “with him, he enjoys the walk and feels at ease than others.”

“Here I feel all villagers are members of my family but I have a strong attachment with Bashir,” Paray Lal said. Adding “he also accompanies him to Srinagar whenever he has a consultation with his doctor.”

Paray Lal, a retired branch manager in Indian Postal Department said that he had friendly relation with Bashir, who is a farmer for many years but the relation became intimate after he became diabetic.

Bashir narrates that years ago they were living in poverty and often would face shortage of finance to marry their wards. “Those days, it was Paray Lal’s father, a kind heart landlord, who would lend a helping hand to such parents,” Bashir said.

Paray Lal treaded the same path before he was bedridden he used to spent his part time resolving land disputes or family disputes among Muslims.

“They have more faith in me than members of their own community,” Paray Lal confides, who also used to give free tuition to Muslim kids from class 10th to 12th.