Former DU student is face of the dead

SRINAGAR: The last Facebook post of Aamir Nazir Lattoo – a 22-year-old former student of Delhi University from Anantnag who died of a bullet injury in the unrest -- was a black-andwhite graphic art with Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani’s face. It read: “This isn’t 1 less Burhan, it’s 100 more Burhans.”

Apart from this post, Lattoo’s profile shows that he was a lover of Rumi’s poetry and photographs edited with colour filters. He cared for his relatives and friends, often uploading edited photographs of them with loving captions.

The ‘about’ section of his profile says: “I’m sexy, I’m dashing, I’m spiritual. But you know what, I’m a simple guy.”

Another post is a photograph of his batch of Zakir Husain College with this comment: “These people made me who I am, gave me memories which I will remember throughout my life.” Some friends tagged in the photo have now posted ‘RIP’ on Lattoo’s timeline.

Lattoo completed his bachelors in commerce from Zakir Husain Evening College earlier this year and was due to join Aligarh Muslim University on July 19 for a masters course. He was home for Eid holidays.

Early on Tuesday, as his relatives waited at blood banks, Lattoo succumbed to the bullet injury he had received a day earlier at Bijbehara -- hometown of chief minister Mehbooba Mufti. Relatives and social workers ran from pillar to post to collect B-negative blood but Lattoo did not survive.

A selfie uploaded by him on Facebook earlier this year was widely shared on social media by those mourning his death – it has given a face to the 34 dead in the ongoing turmoil.

Amidst anti-India and antiPDP slogans, hundreds defied the curfew and came to Lattoo’s funeral in Bijbehara on Tuesday.

Lattoo is survived by his parents and two younger brothers.

For the family, Lattoo was not a part of the agitation and was sitting with friends when they were fired upon. “On the other side of Jhelum, protesters were clashing with forces and policemen were chasing them. But Amir was sitting on this side. Why did they open fire on the boys sitting peacefully on this side?” asked a distraught family member.

Abdul Jabbar, SP, Anantnag, did not comment on the police version.