More lives would have been claimed in the Amarnath terror attack, if this Muslim driver didn’t show his presence of mind. Yes, the driver of that bus which was on its way from Baltal to Jammu, showed real “Heroism” and saved 50 lives out of 56. The bus had a registration number of Gujarat.
One survivor narrated that Saleem risked his life and saved others from this terror attack. Even though there was too much firing, Saleem continued to drive the bus for 2 more kilometers, instead of stopping. He had realized that stopping the bus would have led to more damage.
Saleem moved those 50 people to a safer place i.e. near an Army camp; he even asked the conductor to shut the door of the bus, so that terrorists don’t barge in.
According to reports, Saleem said,
“Lagatar firing huyi, main isliye ruka nahi, bus chalata raha. (I did not stop because there was continuous firing. I kept driving the bus). God gave me strength to keep moving, and I just did not stop.”
Another passenger said,
“Terrorists started firing from all three sides. We didn’t know what to do. Thanks to the presence of mind of the driver who drove the bus for 2-3 km and saved our lives”.
Even Gujarat Chief Minister can’t stop praising Saleem for his bravery; in fact, his name will be nominated for the bravery award as well.
Muneer Khan, IGP Kashmir, said that he spoke to passengers and all of them were thankful to Saleem for showing such wit at the right time. Unfortunately, 7 people couldn’t be saved, although he tried his best.
The driver’s wife said that their son had undergone an operation few days back but still, Saleem drove them, because passengers trusted him.
He deserves a huge respect for this act; he showed that for him it is not religion, but humanity that matters. Such incidents are a mouth-shutting reply to people who try to ignite religious issues.
