MUMBAI: A Kashmiri singer, who was away from his rented home in Mumbai for over a month, realized on his return last week that he had been evicted due to the “trouble” in Kashmir. After the intervention of activists and police, the accommodation was offered back to the youth, but he is reluctant to return due to the bitter experience.
Aadil Gurezi is a 24-year-old internet sensation known for singing Kashmiri, Sufi and Hindi songs. His music video on YouTube, Dupte Nunem, has registered over one crore views. He came to Mumbai about a year ago in search of better opportunities and was sharing a rented accommodation at Lokhandwala in Andheri West.
On August 1, he left Mumbai for his home in Bandipura and returned only on September 3. In between, Kashmir made the headlines due to the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution. When Gurezi returned, he was told by brokers Dinesh Rajpoot and Rashid Ali Khan that he cannot share the accommodation owing to the problem in the Valley.
“I was shaken. I had no other place to go,” Gurezi said. “I even told them that I will go to the media and police. But that didn’t deter them. The broker said ‘do whatever you want’,” he added.
Gurezi then went to stay at a friend’s place. It was when his friends wrote about the incident on social media that Mumbai Police chief Sanjay Barve took note and asked the Versova police station to look into the matter. Senior officers spoke to the brokers and owner Mohammed Ali Budhwani and the issue was resolved.
However, Gurezi is now staying with a friend in the same locality. “The matter was resolved only after police intervention. Now, they are calling me as they are feeling the pressure,” he said on Monday.
However, he added, “I have not gone there. I may not be comfortable. They may be under pressure now, but tomorrow you never know!”
Veteran peace activist Jatin Desai, who too intervened in the case, said, “The incident has ended on a positive note. This has given a lot of confidence to Kashmiris staying across the country.”