Srinagar: Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday extended her greetings to the Kashmiri Pandit community on the occasion of Navreh, wishing them joy, prosperity, and peace.
She said the festival, observed as per the lunar calendar, holds deep cultural significance, symbolizing renewal, hope, and spiritual awakening.
Mufti reflected on the deep historical ties between Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri Muslims, emphasizing how their coexistence was strengthened through shared celebrations.
“For centuries, both communities have participated in each other’s festivals, fostering a spirit of mutual respect and camaraderie. During Navreh, Kashmiri Muslims would extend greetings and sometimes join in the celebrations, while Kashmiri Pandits reciprocated by participating in Eid festivities, exchanging greetings, and sharing festive meals,” she said in a press release.
Highlighting how this tradition of togetherness is deeply embedded in Kashmir’s collective memory, she asserted: “It is reflected in the small but significant gestures of solidarity, like Muslim shopkeepers selling puja items during Kashmiri Pandit festivals and offering assistance during celebrations at revered sites such as the Kheer Bhawani temple during Zyeshth Ashtami. These traditions are a testament to the inclusive spirit of Kashmiriyat, the cultural ethos that binds the people of the valley.”
Recognizing the painful history of the Kashmiri Pandit community, Mufti acknowledged the trauma and hardships they have endured due to their displacement over the past decades. She expressed deep sympathy for their struggles and recognized the sense of loss that both communities have experienced.
She emphasized, “Kashmir is incomplete without its Kashmiri Pandits, as their absence has left a void in the valley’s social and cultural fabric.”
She reaffirmed that Kashmir was, and always will be, their home.
In a heartfelt appeal, Mufti invited Kashmiri Pandits to return to their homeland, reassuring them that Kashmir remained theirs as much as anyone else’s. She underscored that their cultural and spiritual heritage was an integral part of Kashmir’s identity. She appealed to the governments at the Centre and in J&K for renewed efforts to create a safe and inclusive environment for the return of Kashmiri Pandits.
Mufti expressed her belief in the power of dialogue, understanding, and shared history to bridge divisions.
She called upon all Kashmiris, Pandits and Muslims alike, to revive their traditions of interfaith solidarity and collective celebration.
Hoping that Navreh would serve as a time of new beginnings, she reaffirmed a collective commitment to unity and peace, which has defined generations.
