THE ROAD RAAHAT
Kashmir Life|January 17 - 23, 2021
Frequent closure of highway leaves a flood of people stranded thus encouraging the residents to have structured and sustainable initiatives to manage huger reports Parrey Babar
Parrey Babar
THE ROAD RAAHAT

When the highway has a crisis, a group gets hyperactive. Raahat is a volunteer-based trust set up by Khan family of Nussu Badragund village that operates on both sides of the Jawahar Tunnel. For years, Abdul Rashid Khan’s family has always been helpful to stranded passengers on the highway, providing them food and shelter. The family got into social work after some tragic incidents took place in their family.

The crisis hit the family when they lost their elder son in June 2009 to a road accident leaving behind a sister and two brothers along with the grieving parents. The family was yet to recover from the elder son’s death when the wife of Abdul Rashid Khan was diagnosed with breast cancer. The family was desperate to see her survive. It was this desperation that they flew to Mumbai’s Tata Cancer Hospital for her treatment where they spent lakhs of rupees. However, the lady died in 2013.

Ishrat Rashid Khan, 39, known locally as Lalee Khan, the surviving son of Rashid, then adopted the daughter of his deceased brother. Currently in the business of sale and purchase of used vehicles, he is heading Raahat right now.

The trust had an interesting start. On a cold night of January 2019, when Lalee was returning home from his workshop at around 8 pm, he heard a voice saying “Kuch Khanay Ko Milayga” (can we get something to eat?).

This story is from the January 17 - 23, 2021 edition of Kashmir Life.

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This story is from the January 17 - 23, 2021 edition of Kashmir Life.

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