by Babra Wani
SRINAGAR: In a heartwarming display of compassion and commitment to his locality, an aged and ailing Kashmir Pandit who lives alone in his dilapidated home in sub-human conditions, refused to move out to a better place. Pyare Lal Pandit has been living there alone for more than thirty years with local neighbouring taking care of him.
District Magistrate Kulgam, Athar Aamir Khan visited the old man and extended a helping hand to him but Pyare Lal insisted that he would stay in his run-down home despite its challenging conditions.
The story began when a video depicting Pyare Lal’s distressing living conditions in the Aamno village of Kulgam district surfaced on social media, capturing the attention of netizens and local authorities alike. With his house in disrepair and living amidst unhygienic surroundings, Pyare Lal’s plight moved many, including National Conference leader Umesh Talashi, who brought attention to his situation. “An elderly Kashmiri Pandit namely Pyare Lal is enduring harsh living conditions in village Aamno, Kulgam. Immediate intervention needed to ensure his well-being,” Talashi posted on X.
Responding swiftly, Athar Aamir Khan, personally visited Pyare Lal’s residence. Despite offering arrangements at the Senior Citizen Home, Pyare Lal remained steadfast in his decision to remain in his ancestral abode. Touched by his resolve, Khan ensured that necessary arrangements were made to improve Pyare Lal’s living conditions right at home.
“We had made proper arrangements for him at our Senior Citizen Home but he didn’t want to move out despite our insistence,” shared Khan on social media. “He doesn’t want to shift to any other place. So, we are making arrangements at his home as well.”
Khan said his dilapidated house is being repaired, and Lal would have regular health check-ups and visits from medical professionals. Besides, essentials such as ration, bedding, and blankets were provided, ensuring Pyare Lal’s comfort and well-being. “We made sure that they receive a monthly ration through the ration ghat there. And every ten days our government health officials will visit them regularly to do health checkups.”
The IAS officer also emphasised that the administration has made sure that the old man’s house gets proper sanitation facilities too, “We are making sure that we construct a washroom for him at the earliest because the house does not have one.”
His neighbours who take care of him and his fields asserted that the old man “is our responsibility. He is our relative and we will make sure that his well-being and care are prioritised. We all are his relatives and we all have to look after him collectively. if not us, who will?”
For all these decades, he told a citizen journalist, Tanveer Ahmad, whose video triggered his attention, that his neighbours were taking care of him. He identified them as Bashir Ahmad Lone and his brother. The video also shows a young woman pleading with him to move to Kulgam for some time but he refuses. Instead, he told her to get him a good pheran. She asked the cameraman not to click her photograph because they were taking care of “our bub”, a Kashmiri word meaning grandpa.
“This man is more than 80 years old. When his parents died, he gave up the idea of marriage and refused to migrate,” Tanveer said. “As he aged, he became unable to manage himself and the neighbours chipped in. They have been taking care of him for years.” His siblings, however, live in Jammu.
Residents said the family was a well-off family when migration happened. The grand house in which he lives speaks of the well-being of the family at one point in time. “This man had his memories of his home which he never wanted to give up and that is precisely the reason why he refused to leave,” one resident said. “The house is dilapidated now and would require repairs.”
According to the neighbours the old man has been living alone for the past three decades, “he used to be a farmer but now his neighbours look after his land. Due to his old age, he is not able to eat well.”
The gesture not only highlights the humanity and empathy of the district administration but also underscores the resilience and determination of individuals like Pyare Lal, who choose to hold onto their roots despite adversity.
