WHEN Showkat Ahmad Sheikh, a resident of Wawora in Kupwara's Lolab area, turned eight, he had to shun education to support his family. Showkat's elder brother Nazir Ahmad Sheikh went missing thirteen years ago and his father died soon after.

Being the only male member in the family, Showkat had a tough task ahead. He had to support the family of five including his mother and three sisters. And he decided to work as a labourer to earn livelihood for his family.

"When Nazir went missing, I was reading in 7th standard," says Showket, now 22-year-old. "He was our lone bread earner. My father died soon after Nazir went missing in 1994 as he could not bear the pain of his missing son. Now it was my responsibility to support the family, so I had to quit school."

Nazir was picked up by unknown gunmen. "A villager told me that Nazir along with some other villager was questioned by unknown persons," says Nazir's mother Saja.

The sexagenarian Saja, who visited several military camps to know whereabouts of his son, says Nazir's father lodged an FIR in Police Station Lolab. "We had to abandon the search after the death of Nazir's father as our sustenance was at stake."

A missing case is pending in DC office from many years, but nothing fruitful has happened so far. "We do not have approach to politicians nor have money to grease the palm of people at the helm of affairs so nobody helped us,"

... contd.