Bengaluru: Dr Sujata, the wife of the late Bharat Bhushan, one of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, recounted the horrific incident of her husband being shot dead in front of her eyes. “Even as I pleaded, telling them we have a toddler and to spare my husband, they shot him,” she said.
Speaking to the media at Sundarnagar locality in Mathikere, on Thursday in Bengaluru, she narrated the horror, tears continuously rolling down her cheeks.
“We had gone to Kashmir on April 18. On the last day of our trip, April 22, we visited the Baisaran meadows region in Pahalgam, often referred to as ‘Mini Switzerland’. We were excited to reach the beautiful place. We had travelled on horseback for about three to four kilometres to reach Baisaran. We sat in a large grass field, playing with our toddler. There were tents where tourists could wear traditional Kashmiri attire and take photographs. After the photoshoot, we were preparing to leave for lunch.”
“Around 1.45 p.m., we heard gunshots. At first, we thought someone was firing to scare away animals. But as the gunfire got closer, we realised it was an attack. My husband and I hid behind a tent with our child. One of the terrorists spoke to an elderly man who was hiding nearby. In Hindi, he said, ‘How can you be so happy here when our children are dying there? How can you spend time with your children and be happy?’ The elderly man asked what he could possibly do or how he was responsible. Without responding, the terrorist shot him dead and pushed his body aside. He then fired four or five more shots into the body.”
“At that moment, my husband tried to instil courage in us, telling us that everything would be fine. The terrorist then approached us. I clutched my son and folded my hands, pleading for mercy, telling him we had a small child. Without caring for our pleadings, the terrorist shot him in the head. I knew then he wouldn’t survive. I didn’t even raise my head — I just hugged my son tightly, determined to protect him at any cost. As soon as the terrorist moved away, people around began running. I grabbed my son and fled. I saw piles of dead bodies as we ran. Many others were running too. I managed to find a horse and rode it to the CRPF camp,” recounted Dr Sujata.
Nanjundappa, Bharat Bhushan’s uncle, added, “Bharat was my sister’s son. I’ve known him since childhood. He was a very active and kind person. During the summer, he went to Kashmir with his wife and young child to enjoy the vacation. Suddenly, the terrorists attacked. Bharat’s family had pleaded with them not to shoot, saying he had a three-year-old child. But they mercilessly shot him dead.”
“His wife is a doctor at M.S. Ramaiah Hospital and does outstanding work. I can’t express how painful this is. The country is battling terrorism, and the government must take serious action against these terrorists. How could they just come and kill 26 people? What about their families?” he questioned.
“What will happen to Bharat Bhushan’s three-year-old child now? Bharat’s father was a Karnataka Administrative Service (KAS) officer. They are two brothers. This should never happen again. The Central government must take strong and decisive action. I believe they have already acted firmly against Pakistan,” he stated.
“Pakistan must learn from its neighbouring countries, especially India. I am 79 years old, and I’ve seen Pakistan’s actions since Independence — they have always been against India, and I don’t understand why,” he stated.
“The Muslims in Kashmir are supporting the Indians. One Kashmiri youth carried another victim’s child on his shoulders for 3.5 kilometres. In India, Hindus, Muslims, and people of all communities live equally and together,” Nanjundappa stated.
(IANS)
