WS/VP DESK
Sopore, Jan 05 ; Meet Aqib Farooq, a street food vendor from Sopore, a shining example that work, when done wholeheartedly, should never be considered lesser than a gazetted job.
There was a time when the youth of Kashmir were focused almost exclusively on government jobs. Now, however, that mindset has shifted significantly. What truly matters today is survival and the ability to support a family through honest labor.
This young man from Sopore, Aaqib Farooq Sofi, son of Farooq Ahmad Sofi from Hanfiya Colony, Arampora, sells street food to fulfill his family’s needs and aspirations.
For the past five years, he has worked with dedication and passion. He not only delivers the taste of Kashmiri cuisine on wheels but also sets an inspiring example for others. His story proves that when work is done with love, no job is inferior, especially when it is a means of survival.
Speaking to The Web Story/The Varmul Post, he said, “It wasn’t an easy decision. There were doubts, even within myself. Would people look down on me? Could this truly support a family?” he recalls. “But I believed in the taste of our Kashmiri cuisine—the Rista, Kabab, the barbecue. I believed if I worked with love, people would taste that too.”
He added, “I see my customers as my guests. Their smile after a meal is my real ‘salary slip.’ Young boys come to me, some shy, some curious. They ask, ‘Bhaiya, is this enough?’ I tell them, ‘Look at my hard work. This work has given me dignity. It is enough, and it is honest.’”
“My stall is my office. My recipes are my assets. My integrity is my pension plan.”
He emphasized, “We are all witnessing how our younger generation is falling into wrong practices, and many of them are educated. We cannot afford to wait endlessly for government jobs. It is time to come forward, create opportunities to feed ourselves and our families, and work with honesty.”
