Md. Asghar Ali’s eyes well up with tears at the mere mention of his 17-year-old son Md. Aijaz Ahmed, who died in the Dilsukhnagar twin blasts. The death of the eldest son has shaken Ali’s family members, leaving them with mental scars and an uncertain wait for justice.
“When will the authorities catch the terrorists and punish them for what they did to my son? He was just a 17-year-old youngster who had a long life ahead. I am ready to join the police and fight terrorists who did this to my family. I’m not worried about my life but want quick justice,” he says.
In hope
Out of habit, Asghar and his wife Noorjahan Begum keep looking towards the main door at their residence in Amberpet in hope.
“At least, for a fleeting moment, we think Aijaz will walk through that door with his big smile. When that doesn’t happen, reality sinks in and grief takes over. We are unable to sleep and don’t know what to do with the rest of our lives,” they say.The family feels that no amount of ex gratia and promises of jobs can bring Aijaz back or deliver justice. “Look at the Boston Marathon bombing. They caught the terrorists within a few days, and justice will be done quickly to the bereaved families. What about us? Now, nobody is talking about the terrorists who had planted bombs in Dilsukhnagar,” Asghar Ali says.Aijaz’s academic record was excellent. He scored 8.8 percentile points in the SSC exam and was among the toppers at Little Flowers High School, Amberpet. After Class X, the teenager joined SGM Polytechnic College, Hayatnagar, for a course in Automobile Engineering in which he scored 80 per cent in the first year.
On the fateful day, Aijaz was at the Dilsukhnagar bus stand to catch a bus for Amberpet. He died instantly. “I was in my workshop when news about the blasts came. I knew that Aijaz had gone to the bus stand and called his mobile, which was switched off. He was not at home, and I rushed to the spot but could not find him. Then we went to hospitals…,” the father recalls barely able to control his emotions.
Later in the night, after visiting all hospitals, the family finally went to the OGH morgue. “My son’s charred and disfigured body was lying there. We lost him,” he breaks down.
