As valley continues to be on edge, the Srinagar hospitals remain abuzz with anguished scenes. Amid the mounting rush of bullet- and pellet-hit at SKIMS Soura, a group of volunteers from nearby Anchar locality are busy feeding the distressed at the moment. Lensman Bilal Bahadur and penman Ubeer Naqushbandi catch them while they serve

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As siege and killings continue in Kashmir, hospitals are getting flooded with injured people along with their attendants. With communication breakdown and gagged media adding to ‘crisis’, society has itself emerged as ‘crisis manager’.

The same is scene in the lawns of Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS). The people from adjacent locality of Anchar are providing food and medicines to people continuously pouring in with their maimed patients.

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On daily basis 4.5 quintals of rice is being cooked by volunteers.

“We usually serve around 230 tramee (copper plate) during lunch and 240 tramee at dinner,” says Rouf Ahmed Mir, 44, working as volunteer from adjacent locality of Anchar.

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Besides this, volunteers at SKIMS Soura are providing medicine to people.

“We provide everyone medicines. A person just needs to show requisition to us to avail the required medicine,” says Rouf. Until now, according to the voluntary group, it has already distributed medicine costing around Rs 8 lac.

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The initiative started by Anchar inhabitants is now receiving active support from other nearby areas including Dulbagh and Buchpora.

“From 9th July morning, we intimidated our neighbourhood at Anchar and started providing relief to distressed ,” says Rouf.

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There are 35 volunteers who are engaged in voluntary work at SKIMS. Mostly in the age group of 35-40, volunteers start their day at 7am and work late till 12am midnight. For serving their brethren in need, these volunteers have suspended their routine works.

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“It has been ten days that I have talked to my four-year-old son—reason being: early departure and late arrival. And on both occasions, he remains asleep,” says Rouf. But the need of the hour is to rise above the routine and serve the society, he says.

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There are also kids accompanying their fathers in voluntary work. These kids are seen shifting packets, vegetables, glasses and other things.

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“Looking at these kids gives us inspiration to continue in these testing times,” Rouf says.

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