When Muslim neighbours helped in a Kashmiri Pandit’s last rites

SRINAGAR - Setting an inspirational example of brotherhood and communal amity in the ongoing the holy month of Ramadan, a group of Muslims on Thursday here helped their Hindu brethrens to perform the last rites of a Kashmiri Hindu.

Somnath Koul, a Kashmiri Pandit, died at about 7:00 a.m.. But in the absence of enough people to properly perform the last rites, the Muslim neighbours filled the vacuum.

“This body is of our neighbour who was a Kashmiri Pandit. He died at around 7 in the morning today (August 12). There were just a few Pandits in their house, rest of us are all Muslims, so we have assisted in the performing of all his last rites,” said Shahid Muneer, a Muslim neighbour of Somnath Koul.

Veerjee Koul, son of the deceased Somnath expressed his gratitude to his Muslim neighbours.

“Muslims have contributed a lot. 90 percent of the people present here are Muslims. As you have seen how many people were present here. So we are very thankful to the Muslims,” said Veerjee Koul, son of the deceasd.

It was a rare sight to witness a large number of Muslims making their presence felt during the last rites of a Hindu.

So much so the Muslims facilitated almost all the arrangements for the final rituals.

Somnath was a resident of Chanapora region on the outskirts of Srinagar city.

On the onset of turbulence in the Kashmir valley, there was an exodus of thousands of Kashmiri Pandit families who migrated to other places of the country.

However, the family members of Somnath decided to stay back in the valley. By Parvez Bhatt (ANI)