Muslim neighbours perform last rites of Kashmiri Pandit in Shopian
Carried dead body for over 10 km due to accumulation of snow on road
Shopian: In an exhibition of communal harmony, Muslim neighbours in a Shopian village Saturday shouldered the dead body of a Kashmiri Pandit for miles amid snowfall and performed his last rites.
Witnesses said that Muslim neighbours of Bhaskar Nath who passed away at SKIMS Soura due to kidney failure on Saturday morning carried his dead body for over 10 km amid heavy snowfall.
They said that the ambulance in which the dead body of the deceased was brought from Srinagar wasn’t able to reach Pargochi due to accumulation of snow on the road. “Locals carried the dead body on their own shoulders for over 10 kilometres to Pargochi in Imamsahib area of Shopian.”
The family of the deceased had informed their Muslim neighbours who rushed to the spot and carried Bhaskar on their shoulders.
Later, upon reaching Pargochi, the locals made all the arrangements for the last rites of the local Pandit. Elders, young and children were among villagers who made last rite preparations.
Shami Lal, a close relative of the deceased said that Muslims have been part of our community since long time especially since 1989 when most Pandit families were forced to leave valley.
“However, few families of Pandit community never left the valley and we are living with Muslims like our own brothers. We never felt like a minority here. We are living here with love, brotherhood and harmony,” he added.
