Kashmir Harmony
Locals in Jammu and Kashmir claim communal harmony prevails in the state now
Srinagar: A strong sense of communal harmony and brotherhood prevails in Jammu and Kashmir now, locals said.
The state had once witnessed a mass exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits but now such events seem to be a matter of distant past.
Speaking to ANI, Bhimla Pandita, a Kashmiri Pandit, who lives in Pulwama district, said her family never faced any problems living in the state.
"We don't have any problem here. All the communities treat each other with respect here, and there is a lot of brotherhood among people. If anybody needs help, people help them irrespective of religion," she said.
Even the Muslims in the state now join the Hindus in celebrating their festivals.
As per Tanvir Ahmad, who lives in the same locality as the Pandits, he has celebrated all the Hindu festivals with the same enthusiasm as the Islamic festivals.
"In our locality people of all religions live in harmony. I have always celebrated Holi and Diwali with as much enthusiasm as Eid," he told ANI.
Talking about the rich history of communal brotherhood in the former state, Haroon, a local resident said that many religious leaders of various Indian religions were born here giving it a rich history of peace and tolerance.
"Kashmiriyat is all about brotherhood among people. Religious leaders of many Indian religions were born in Kashmir. The land is full of stories of communal harmony which could be used as a precedent for the world," he told the news agency.
Fazal Ilahi Matoo, a well known Kashmiri scholar told ANI that there might have been a difference of opinion among people of different religions, but the people of Kashmir know that in the end, they all come from the same land.
Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave the Valley in 1990 at a time when Islamic militancy was rising in the region.
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