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Muslim men help Hindu man’s kin conduct his funeral rites in north Kashmir’s Uri
Due to the lockdown, the relatives of the deceased could not reach the place for his funeral and no vehicle was available to carry the body to the cremation ground.
Members of the Muslim community helped in performing the last rites of their Hindu neighbour in north Kashmir’s Uri town amid the nationwide lockdown.
When 54-year-old Shekhar Kumar died in Lagama village of Uri on Thursday, and it was time to perform the last rites and the funeral, his family members realised that they needed help. That’s when they approached the Muslim community.
Due to the lockdown, the relatives of the deceased could not reach the place for his funeral and no vehicle was available to carry the body to the cremation ground.
When some Muslims residing in the neighbourhood came to know about it, they came forward to help the grief-stricken family.
Deceased’s son Ghautam Kumar said that the Muslim community has always helped them in tough times. “It was not possible to perform my father’s last rites without their support,” he said.
Abdul Majid Banday who helped Shekhar’s family conduct his last rites said, “We all will help each other, and caste, creed or religion should never come in the way.”
Chairman of Uri municipal committee Bharat Kumar Sharma said that in times like this, it shows that humanity and kindness are the only things that matter at the end of the day.
Over 300 pandit families living in Lagama village stayed back and didn’t migrate to date since the 90’s when the militancy was on peak and despite the turbulent days that the valley has seen.
As most of the pandits live in Lagama village while the rest of them are settled in neighbouring Bandi and Dyari villages of Uri. These villages have six temples. Three are in Lagama, two in Bandi, and one in Dayar.
