SRINAGAR: Arvind Kumar Sah, the 30-year old Golgappa seller from Bihar who was killed on Saturday, was working in Kashmir for the last 15 years.
Devendra Sah, his father told the Kolkotta based newspaper Telegraph that his son was never afraid in Kashmir and he always used to speak in good terms of the people. Sah’s live in Parghari village.
“I can’t help thinking that had we not been so poor, he would not have needed to go to Srinagar and get killed,” the newspaper quoted Sah saying.
Tragically, Arvind’s brother had also died earlier this year, leaving him the sole earner in the family. Performing his brother’s last rites and coming back to Kashmir three months ago would go on to become a decision, which will haunt his family for the rest of their lives.
“I never wanted him to go so far away to work. I would hear people talk about terrorists and would ask him not to go, but he would say it was necessary for the family’s betterment,” Sunaina Devi, the slain worker’s mother has said. “He had started working for our sake at the age of 15.”
The newspaper reported that teenaged Arvind earned his livelihood by starting from a thela, a four-wheel wooden pushcart. His father was a day labourer and still did odd jobs in the village, earning low sums and his remaining three brothers are day labourers as well, but work has dried up because of Covid19. The family has 13 mouths to feed.
“He (Arvind) was fourth among my five sons. He used to send us money which helped us survive,” Devendra said. “What will we do now?”
While the Bihar government has announced the family will be given Rs 2 lakh, BJP Rajya Sabha member and former Bihar deputy chief minister
Sushil Kumar Modi has said that Jammu and Kashmir Lt governor Manoj Sinha. Sushil would provide the family Rs 11 lakh.
Meanwhile, his brother Mantu Sahis on way to Srinagar to take the body of his brother home.
