DR. IBRAHIM MASOODI
The author recounts his service period as medical officer at Wadura college Sopore years back: Excerpt from Bumpy Roads Chapter Medico in green pastures .
Dawn was still breaking, and the campus was yet to come out of the blanket of dark night , Mr Ghulam Nabi, my attendant, knocked at my door.
“Doc! Come quickly! There is noise outside, and bright lights are flashing,” he called. I quickly put on a jacket, took out my employee identity card, and left my quarters. The “bright lights” at the distant end of the campus, were caused by a fire in the main college building. The whole village had gathered together near faculty quarters. The flames were very high. I felt despondent that the great institution was being burnt down by an unfortunate fire.
“Doc, take care! The whole area has been cordoned off, so please don’t go there, it is risky,” the villagers insisted. But it was difficult to resist trying to help, even though there was nothing I could do actively. I, therefore, headed towards the main building which was enveloped in flames. As I approached, a torch was shone on my face, and I turned it a little. “Hands up!” yelled one of the ambushing security persons, whom I had not spotted in that darkness. “I am the campus doctor”, I explained, hands raised above my head. “Could you please take me to your officer,” I humbly requested him. Having thoroughly frisked me, he messaged the officer, and I was permitted to proceed. The building was burning fiercely and was completely engulfed in flames. Glassware in the laboratories could be heard bursting as if children were playing with crackers. It was indeed regrettable for me to witness the whole scene. Firemen and army personnel were trying their best to overcome the flames. “Sir, would you mind getting our Dean? He lives few miles away,” I requested the commanding officer. While we were discussing this, one of the walls collapsed with a loud bang, and an army officer blew a whistle. Everyone present collected in front of the building, but two people were found to be missing. Minutes later the building had been carefully searched by the firemen and two security staff were carefully brought out. Unfortunately, neither could be resuscitated. Hours later firemen finally managed to extinguish the flames, but the main college building, including laboratories, etc., was completely destroyed.
The campus looked sad for months until the renovations started to rebuild its charm, but it never returned to its full former appeal. The smell of smoke would often remind everyone of that unfortunate fire, and for a long time, it would overpower even the fragrance of the roses on the campus.
Months later, I needed to go to Srinagar for my personal work, so I was away from the campus overnight. There had been security search operation in the Faculty quarters. Unfortunately, an incident had taken place during the search operation and one of the employees who was on night duty in the medical unit, Mr Bashir Ahmad Bhat, died in the crossfire between the militants and the security forces. I came back the next morning, and it was hard to behold the faces of his old father, his small children and his sad wife. I am not sure what would have happened had I been there that night within the campus. A few other employees advised me rather commute to my work there, and not to live there anymore. In fact, it was terrifying to stay on the campus, as all faculty quarters remained vacant in that vast space. I reluctantly stopped living there for a while. However, as the saying goes, time is the best healer and the fear slowly diminished, and a few months later, the Dean of the faculty started to live there again and so did I.
Excerpt from the Book Bumby Roads authored by Dr. Ibrahim Masoodi.He can be mailed at ibrahimmasoodi@yahoo.co.in