In a significant development, a fervent appeal was made on Friday from the pulpit of Srinagar’s Grand Mosque to Kashmiri pandits, who fled the Valley following the outbreak of separatist violence more than two decades ago, to return home and “live here with their Muslim brethren without any fear”.
“I’m quite happy that Muslims of the Valley received their Pandit brethren who turned up at the annual Khirbhawani mela in large numbers with open arms. I pray and hope this sentiment is upheld and reciprocated as well by those who left the Valley many years ago by returning to their hearth and home at the earliest,” said Kashmir’s chief Muslim cleric and chairman of his faction of the separatist Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. “They are part of our flesh and must come back and live without any fear in the localities, villages and towns among their Muslim neighbours and friends as they used to,” he asserted while delivering his weekly sermon at the historic mosque. The statement from one of the Valley’s most influential religious and political leaders was endorsed by thousands of Muslim worshipers who cried out, “We do agree, we do agree.”
The Mirwaiz hoped Kashmiri Pandit expatriates would pay no heed to what he termed a manoeuvring of communal and reactionary forces in India by those who have used their plight only to serve their own agenda. “It is time to look right through and sideline such elements,” he said adding that the Muslims of the Valley are eagerly waiting to receive with open arms as many Amarnath devotees as wish to come for the annual pilgrimage in the coming weeks. “As in the past, they will be treated as our honoured guests and will be extended all requisite help to make their stay here comfortable. It is in our blood and no amount of oppression on the part of the Indian state or political hogwash from reactionary forces and vested interests can alter it,” he said.
The Mirwaiz said the return of the members of the minority community is not subject to the condition of the Kashmir problem being resolved first. “That may take some time. Let us together hope and exert ourselves for an amicable solution to this problem, a solution that is acceptable to all. Let us once again share one another’s sorrow and joy together,” he said.
“I also want to seize this occasion to reiterate that we are not against the people of India either. Our fight is against the policies and actions of the Indian government vis-à-vis Kashmir and its people,” he said.