Eknath Shinde presents new house to family of martyr ponywallah
SRINAGAR: Hapatnar village, located at the foothills of Pir Panjal, about 15 km from Pahalgam, was extremely busy on Tuesday. many shiva sena Workers flocked to the quiet village holding portraits of Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister and party leaders Eknath Shinde.However, there were no slogans or political gestures as this was not a party event but a solemn ceremony where Shinde joined virtually to hand over a newly constructed single-storey house to the family of ponywallah Syed Adil Hussain Shah. ponywallah Syed Adil Hussain Shah, the only local victim of last year’s Pahalgam terror attack, died while trying to save tourists.Maharashtra Ministers Sanjay Shirsat and Yogesh Ramdas Kadam supervised the event in the village.Shinde had earlier provided financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the family and later saw their house in dilapidated condition and decided to build them a permanent home.“Many people thought we would not fulfill our promise, but we have now completed the house and handed it over to the family,” Hilsaat said, adding that the move was in honor of Adil’s sacrifice. “It sends a message to the country that he gave his life for others.”For the family, the day was filled with sadness and pride. Adil’s father, Syed Haider Shah, said the loss had left the family in mourning. “But when I think about the fact that he died protecting tourists, I feel proud,” he said.The construction cost of this house is approximately Rs 10-12 lakh. The family had hoped Hind would visit them on the first anniversary of the attack. However, he failed to make the trip and sent two more ministers.The J&K government and other organizations have provided financial assistance of around Rs 20 lakh to Adil’s family. His wife Gulnaz Akhter found a permanent job in the fisheries department, while his brother Nazakat found a daily wage job in the Waqf. Another brother, Naushad, used to drive for others and now owns a taxi worth about Rs 12 lakh.Haider Shah said his son’s sacrifice sent a message that people must rise above religious differences to protect humanity. “Adil was the backbone of our family and I thought our fortunes would get worse after his death. But support from all sides has helped us stay afloat. ” he said.Expressing gratitude to the Shiv Sena chief, Shah said: “He had no vote bank here and we were not his voters. Despite this, his people visited us many times during the construction of the house and in the months afterwards. The memories remain.”
