LEADERS PRAY FOR PEACE AS JAMMU N KASHMIR BECOMES THE EPITOME OF COMMUNAL HARMONY ON DIWALI

Manoj Sinha, the Lt. Governor of J&K, stated on Friday that the administration was monitoring individuals and groups attempting to undermine intergroup harmony in the UT and that they would receive a suitable response.

Sinha said that violence has no place in a civilized society. “A few elements are trying to justify despicable acts because of their self-interest. Action will be taken against such people as per the law of the land,” the Lt Governor said.

In Jammu and Kashmir, Diwali was observed on Monday with love and fraternity as people from the Hindu and Sikh communities flocked to the capital city's marketplaces and candy stores to shop and light their homes. As devotees flocked to temples in Srinagar and elsewhere in the evening to give special prayers and light lamps, the festivities became increasingly obvious. Hindu and Sikh temples and residences were decorated with colourful lights.

Sandiya Pandita, 20, claims that since the morning, her phone has been overflowing with text messages. Salutations are coming in from all directions from her Muslim and Sikh friends and acquaintances. She claims that since the morning, several Muslims have stopped by her home and offered presents and treats. When questioned whether she thinks Kashmir is an "intolerant place," Sandhya expresses her disapproval. “In Kashmir, we live by the principle of mutual respect. We respect each other’s religion, sentiments, and emotions. Isolated incidents indeed tell a story, but they don’t tell a whole story,” Sandhya adds.  

Mehr Mahajan, a shopkeeper by profession, uses the example of Zain-ul-Abideen, the Shahmiri Sultan of Kashmir, who forbade cow slaughter in the 15th century, to support his position and to demonstrate Kashmir's long-standing dedication to interfaith tolerance.

 “To respect the sentiments of the Hindu community in Kashmir, Zain-ul-Abideen outlawed the cow slaughter at a time when the rest of the world was involved in petty communal squabbles. You would not find such an example from those times or before, anywhere in the world. Kashmir has always been an abode of tolerance. That is a kind of legacy we inherit. In my opinion, nothing can destroy it.”