Ejaz-ul-haq Bhat
Bandipora, Jan 22 : Keeping the age old bond of communal harmony intact, members from the muslim community on Wednesday performed the last rites of a pandit woman in Ajar locality of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
According to wire service—, a pandit woman namely Jai Kishori (80) wife of Dinanath Bhat a resident of Ajar Bandipora breathed her last during the intervening night of 21-22 January.
The Muslim neighbours of the pandit family went to their house after they came to know that the woman breathed her last and helped the family in performing the last rites.
In Ajar locality around a dozen pandit families are residing who did not migrate from Kashmir valley during the peak of militancy 1990’s and instead decided to stay put.
Since then the two communities have living in the locality like brothers and have always shown compassion to each other.
Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Sheikh, numberdar Ajar told news agency that the whole village visited the pandit families house in the morning after they came to know about the death of the pandit woman.
He said that it was their duty and they did everything to help the pandit family in performing the last rites and other rituals.
“This is our culture as we have been living here from past many decades together and we have been helping each other in all shades. We have living here as one community. That is the reason these pandit families never migrated from the area even peak of the militancy,” he said.
Pyarelal Bhat, relative of the deceased pandit woman said that the Muslim brethren provided them all the support they needed while performing the last rites of the deceased lady.
“We have been living as one and this is our cultural ethos and identity. The muslim brothers have always stood by our side and this brotherhood is going on from last 80 years. We are thankful to our muslim brothers who helped us in this hour of grief,” he said.
Meanwhile, district administration Bandipora also provided the pandit family all the support in performing the last rites of the deceased lady. (KNO)
