People of the Kashmir Valley have yet again set an example of communal harmony and brotherhood in the valley.
Srinagar—
Whenever there is snowfall in the valley of Kashmir, it means a new set of problems for the local residents. From the closure of the national highway, halting of airline services, soaring prices of essential commodities to disruption of road connectivity, water and electricity supply amid the bone-chilling cold, the survival of natives is almost threatened.
However, people never hesitate to help each other amidst the toughest of times, spreading the warmth of their brotherhood and religious harmony.
On last Saturday (January 23), amid heavy snowfall, local Muslims walked miles on foot to shoulder the dead body of a Pandit, which was stuck in an ambulance in southern Kashmir’s Shopian district.
Local people in the slain Kashmiri Pandit’s Pargochi village identified the deceased as 60-year-old Bhaskar Nath, who was under treatment at SKIMS Srinagar for kidney failure.
The dead body was supposed to be taken to the slain’s native village in an ambulance, which got stuck at a location in the district 10 kilometers away due to incessant snowfall.
As per reports, the ambulance driver called one of the family members on phone who informed the local Muslims. The local Muslims, amid inclement weather, walked on foot and brought the dead body on their shoulders.
A local Muslim, Fayaz Ahmed, said, “Due to snowfall, the road was not motorable so we brought the dead body to Pargochi village on our shoulders.”
The locals made all arrangements and amid snowfall, the deceased local Pandit was cremated as per the Hindu rituals.
The deceased, survived by a son and two daughters, stayed back when majority of the Kashmiri Pandits migrated in 1990’s after the eruption of militancy in Kashmir.
“We are overwhelmed and can’t express my love and affection for my local Muslim brothers,” said one of the relatives of deceased Bhaskar Nath.
It is worthwhile to mention here that this is not an isolated incident. Muslims in the valley have always shared grief of local Hindus, known locally as Pandits, and set examples of brotherhood and religious harmony.
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Dil-Paziir (Urdu; meaning ‘heart-pleasing’) is a special edition positive news series brought to you by Digpu, sourced from conflict areas, starting from Kashmir. Our local journalists have successfully shared many inspirational stories from the valley – from the invention of E-Charkha, automatic ventilator in Kashmir, stories of brotherhood through to the first-ever cricket tourney for Blind sportsmen, all the stories make us awe-struck. These are NOT FOR REPRODUCTION.
