Missing the point
Why are you turning a blind eye to the presence of Kashmiri Muslims at the funeral and the fact that they were in the majority (“The ugly truth behind a ‘heartwarming’ story of Muslims performing a Kashmiri Pandit’s last rites”)? They may not have performed the last rites, but what matters is that they were standing by the side of the family.
Why are you ignoring the existence of a Kashmiri brotherhood, instead of Pandits and Muslims being divided? The reality is that you have ignored Kashmir and Kashmiriyat long ago and are ignoring any good thing happening around the corner in Kulgam or elsewhere.
I hope you have watched Janki Nath’s wife on television and how she is grateful to the community around. What she said and felt cannot be brushed aside by your comments made from afar. Stop playing a spoilsport by trying to act like a messiah. Learn to encourage certain good things that are happening. – Jahangir Khan
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Before making any comment on Rahul Pandita’s post-mortem of a story about communal harmony, I would like to seek some more details from his “sources” who fed him the details about the last rites of the deceased.
I strongly believe that his “sources” were also based outside Kashmir like him, and of the same ilk which is driven by “politics of hatred” with self-centered goals, rather than having any concern for the community.
What was the total strength of mourners who participated in the funeral of the deceased Janki Nath? I believe that Pandita will accept that Muslim neighbours outnumbered the Pandits manifold since they were the ones who took care of the elderly couple living among them, even after the mass migration of the minority community. None of you can understand this bond.
Can Pandita please confirm who carried the body to the crematorium, who arranged the firewood and who remained with the widow of the deceased during the mourning period, consoling and sharing her grief and assuring her of their help when needed? Look beyond the technicalities and open your eyes.
Your rebuttal is self-contradictory at times since you are playing to the gallery. Do you know why you get perturbed by the stories of communal harmony emanating from the valley? Because it pricks your balloon containing a distorted message. How many times you have visited the valley after your migration? Much water has passed down the river Jhelum since 1990 and you need to keep pace with the changing times.
It is ironic that you are only picking up things which suit you and your audience. Look beyond yourself to know the real meaning of living. – Tariq Sofi
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Muslims might not have performed the last rites because they are obviously unaware of the rituals and sermons, but how can the author deny that Muslims accompanied the funeral procession and stayed on till the last rites were performed? – Khurshid
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Rahul Pandita’s depiction of events is revealing. It exposes the ground reality and the attempts by some to misinform people. Kudos to him. – Ashok Handoo
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Thank you for telling us the ugly truth and also for the way you told it. – CM Naim
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I completely agree with Rahul Pandita. Kashmiriyat is a political expression which taunts both Muslims and Hindus of Kashmir. We were never secular because we could not be.
We are two nations, the pomp of media notwithstanding. Both crescent and the swastika are drenched in blood. – Farooq Peer
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A bitter response that is as bad as the crocodile tears of the PTI stringer. This is the tragedy of Kashmir. – Jai Oberoi
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I am very saddened after reading the truth as you claim it to be. Whom should I trust? If it was the case of some local/infamous publishing newsbody, then we might have ignored the original story. But an acclaimed paper like The Indian Express carried such a story and patted the shoulders of the so-called Kashmiriyat. Isn’t it shameful? Apart from eroding the trust of a reader, isn’t it a crime in the name of naked journalism and what not?
Many of my friends swooped on this story and they discussed the change and goodwill of the people there. They made made statements such as “See, things are so beautiful now”.
This matter should be taken up in the public domain more fiercely. – Adarsh Agarwal
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