Bunty Mahajan
JAMMU, OCTOBER 7: Less than 24 hours before his killing by terrorists in the Valley, Deepak Mehra had called his Bua on phone in Jammu on Wednesday 7.30 pm and invited her to visit Kashmir as the weather there was pleasant, recalled his cousin Vicky Mehra.
He had been teaching in Kashmir for past four years following his appointment as a teacher under PM’s employment package for educated youth from migrant Kahmiri Pandit community. He is survived by his wife Aradhna and two year old daughter Rajni and mother Kanta Mehra.
He was the youngest son of Lal Chand who died in Jammu last year. His elder brother Kamal Mehra is a tax consultant and a sister who is married.
“Deepak used to call everybody in the family and relatives asking them to visit Kashmir,’’ he said. “He used to tell us that there is nothing to fear…the people are very good…weather is good and there is no tension,’’ recalled Vicky, a contractor by profession.
Only last week, he had come to Jammu for a day to drop his wife and daughter home. On Wednesday evening, he also called his elder brother Kamal Mehra, a tax consultant, saying that he will come home on Ashtami (eighth navratra).
He asked the majority community to stand up against the targeting of Kashmiri Pandits by terrorists. “I want to tell the people of Kashmir to remember as to how Deepak was teaching you…How you used to visit Kashmiri Pandit chemist Makhan Lal Bindroo for consultation whenever anyone fell ill,’’ Vicky said, adding that those who killed them have only destroyed the culture of Kashmir. They don’t realize as to how many poor Kashmiris will now die in the absence of Dr Bindroo and how many students future will be affected without Deepak, he said, questioning the silence of human rights activists and those returning their awards on these killings.
Referring to terrorists issuing threats on Deepak’s phone after his killing, Vicky said that “we are not scared’’.
“Being a contractor I had built two mosques at Bantalab in Jammu where hundreds of Muslims offer namaz every day, but you (terrorists) have brought grief to our home,’’ he said, adding that “you may kill us, but I want to tell you that we are not afraid of you’’.
These killings will definitely affect the return and rehabilitation policy of the government, he said. This (targeting of non-Muslims) is being on under some conspiracy at a time when Central government is talking about the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley, he added.
How you can ensure their return to the Valley when you are unable even to protect a teacher, or a civilian who goes there to do business, he asked the Central government. How you will protect children of Kashmiri Pandits who will be playing outside their houses there, he asked.