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Muslims play host to Pandit ‘guests’ in Valley initiative
SRINAGAR: To test waters for their return, a group of migrant Kashmir Pandits have come to the Valley to live as guests among Muslim families.
SRINAGAR: To test waters for their return, a group of migrant Kashmir Pandits have come to the Valley to live as guests among Muslim families.
This development comes after a group of Kashmiri Muslims in the Valley have decided to provide accommodation to those willing to return.
The initiative was facilitated by the chair man of J&K Reconciliation Front, Dr Sandeep Mawa, and his friends.
Among the guests is Subhash Pandit, who migrated from the Valley when he was seven years old. He said he wants to return permanently.
“I have a great desire to return. My parents told me it is your future so you have to decide. People have welcomed us into their homes,” he said.
25-year-old Aijaz Ahmad will be hosting a Pandit family. He was born just after Pandits had left and he wants to learn about their culture.
“We have decided to host a family. Our elders may have been well acquainted with Pandits, but we have no idea who is a Pandit. When we were born, they had left and so is the case with their youngsters ,” he said.
Dr Sandeep Mawa said that as many as 50 Kashmiri Pandits in the age group of 18 to 35 have arrived. He said that there was a need to open the channels of communication between the two communities.
“They want to assess the ground reality. Parents have sent their children as it is them who have to live here now. Muslims have to take the lead to facilitate their return. Now is the time to keep Kashmiriyat alive,” he said.
Eighteen- year- old Rohit Pandit’s family migrated from north Kashmir’s Kupwara district when he was not even born. He said that there were rumours that the situation is bad here.
“People there would say that the situation is not good here. There were rumours of stone pelting but everything is normal here. I am enjoying my stay,” he said.
Nazir Ahmad, a local businessman who will also be hosting some Pandits, said: “Pandits are told that Muslims are dangerous and same is the case with Muslims. We want to clear these apprehensions,” he said.
Majority of Kashmir Pandits left the Valley after militancy erupted in the state in 1989 and started living in Jam mu and other parts of the country. State government recently released figures which said that over 1, 54,080 people migrated from Valley in 1990.
