Day before Pahalgam attack anniv, Shinde hands over new house to ponywallah’s family | India News

Eknath Shinde gifted a new house to the family of martyr Paniwalla

SRINAGAR: The village of Hapatna, located at the foothills of Pir Panjal Hills, about 15 km ahead of Pahalgam, was unusually turbulent on Tuesday. a lot Shiv Sena Activists thronged the quiet village, holding portraits of the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and the party leader Eknath Shinde.There were no slogans or political posturing, however, it was not a party function but a solemn event where Shinde virtually attended, Paniwalla handed over a newly constructed one-storey house to the family of Syed Adil Hussain Shah – the only local victim of last year’s Pahalgam terror attack who lost his life while trying to save tourists.Maharashtra Ministers Sanjay Shirsat and Yogesh Ramdas were present at Kadam village, overseeing the event.Shinde had earlier given financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the family and later decided to build them a permanent home after seeing the dilapidated condition of their house.“Many thought we would not fulfill our promise, but we have now completed the house and handed it over to the family,” Shirsat said, adding that the gesture honors Adil’s sacrifice. “It sends a message to the country that he sacrificed his life for others.”For the family, the day carries a mixture of grief and pride. Adil’s father Syed Haider Shah said the loss has left the family in mourning. “However, when I think he died protecting tourists, it makes me proud,” he said.The house was built at a cost of around Rs 10-12 lakhs. The family had hoped Shinde would visit them on the first anniversary of the attack. But he could not do so and sent two ministers.The Jammu and Kashmir government and other agencies have given financial assistance of around Rs 20 lakh to Adil’s family. His wife Gulnaz Akhtar was given a permanent job in the Fisheries Department, while his brother Najakat got a daily wage job in the Waqf Board. Another brother, Naushad, who once drove for others, now owns a taxi worth around Rs 12 lakh.Haider Shah said his son’s self-sacrifice sends a message that religious differences must be transcended to save humanity. “Adil was the backbone of our family and I expected that after his death our condition would worsen. But support from many quarters helped us float,” he said.Expressing gratitude to the Shiv Sena chief, Shah said, “He has no vote bank here, and we were not his voters. Still, his people have visited us many times during the construction of the house and in all these months thereafter. Those memories remain.”