Ishfaq-ul-Hassan

SRINAGAR, Aug 12: A six-year-old lost his life when he displayed indomitable courage and jumped into the Dal Lake to unsuccessfully save his two-year-old sister from drowning.

Asif Ali set an example of bravery when he tried to save Sakeena who accidently slipped into the lake while playing close to their home at Sheikh Moholla-Mir Bahri.

“Two weeks before also Sakeena had accidently slipped into the lake and Asif had managed to pull her off. This time however he failed in his endeavor,” said Yasmeena, a close neighbor.

The brother-sister duo was buried next to each other in the local graveyard to symbolize their love and affection for each other. Throngs of people gathered at Sheikh Moholla to join in the funeral procession.

“Their mother had left home for a few minutes and she had asked them to stay put in the room. But they left home to play in the compound which is adjacent to the lake. Sakeena slipped into the lake and Asif tried to save her. In this pursuit both lost their lives,” said Ghulam Hussain, uncle of Asif and Sakeena.

For Asif and Sakeena’s parents, the loss is unbearable. “They are unable to come to the terms with the accident. Their father is a poor construction worker and he was working hard to make ends meet. Sometimes he would not have enough money to buy medicines for them but he never lost hope and courage. Today their world is in ruins,” said Ghulam Mohidin, a close friend and neighbor.

(The author is working with DNA)