New Delhi, Feb 1 (NVI) In a first-of-its-kind initiative, a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits held a meeting with Mirwaiz of Kashmir Maulvi Umar Farooq and the deliberations led to the decision of forming an Inter-Community Committee to be headed by the Muslim religious head of the Valley.
The meeting of the Kashmiri Pandit delegation, under the banner of JK Peace Forum and leadership of Satish Mahaldar, with the Mirwaiz of Kashmir was aimed at “fostering greater cooperation and healing between the communities of Kashmir”.
“The meeting, which lasted about one and a half hours, represented a crucial step towards addressing historical grievances and working towards a peaceful and inclusive future for Jammu and Kashmir,” said the JK Peace Forum in a statement.
The Inter-Community Committee will represent all communities of Kashmir, with focus on facilitating the safe return of Kashmiri Pandits to their homeland; addressing the concerns of other minority communities; promoting economic development, trade, and employment generation; preserving Kashmir’s unique cultural heritage and encouraging cooperation among the region’s young professionals.
Additionally, the committee will explore initiatives such as government support for the rehabilitation of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, including the creation of inclusive designated colonies to aid their reintegration into society, the statement said.
The Kashmiri Pandit delegation emphasized that religious leaders, particularly Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, hold the moral authority to lead this initiative given their influence across the region.
Furthermore, the delegation, during the meeting yesterday, reminded Mirwaiz that as the spiritual leader of Kashmir, he represents not just the Muslim community, but also all minorities, and that his leadership is crucial in restoring the region’s peace & harmony.
During his opening remarks, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq emphasized the shared suffering of both Kashmiri Muslims and Kashmiri Pandits over the decades, it said.
The Mirwaiz “acknowledged the painful exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1989-90, a chapter that continues to affect both communities, and reaffirmed that the plight of Kashmiri Pandits is a humanitarian issue and must be addressed with care and urgency,” the statement said.
He said, “Kashmir is incomplete without Kashmiri Pandits. The suffering of Kashmiri Pandits needs to be addressed earnestly, and this has been a point I have raised repeatedly in my discourses.”
The head priest of Kashmir’s Jamia Masjid, who addresses Muslim devotees after every Friday prayers at the historic mosque, said, “The younger generation must be made aware of Kashmir’s composite culture.”
In response, the Kashmiri Pandit delegation mentioned the deep hardships the community had to face after being compelled to leave the Valley under duress in 1990 for no fault of theirs.
The community members, in tented camps in Jammu, suffered from scorching heat and snake bites and were forced to sell all their properties at low prices to educate their children, the Mirwaiz was told.
The Kashmiri Pandits highlighted that despite being forced out of their homeland, they always extended support to their Muslim brothers and sisters in times of distress, and vice versa. (NVI)
