Muslim neighbours help family perform last rites of slain Kashmiri Pandit

The Muslim neighbours carried the bier and helped the family make arrangements for his last journey

On Sunday, Achan village in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district witnessed targeted killing of a Kashmiri Pandit by terrorists creating a wave of fear among the minority community in the area.

However, despite threats from the terrorists, the Muslim neighbours of the victim Sanjay Sharma not only held a protest against the gruesome killing, but also helped his family perform the last rites on Monday morning according to Hindu rituals.

Sharma, a security guard with J&K Bank was shot dead by terrorists on Sunday morning. The Muslim neighbours, who carried the bier and helped the family make arrangements for his last journey, said the killing had left them shocked and they equally shared the pain and grief of the victim's family.

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Local Muslims were seen consoling Sharma’s wife and two small children crying inconsolably. “For the last 33 years, every Kashmiri - Muslims or non-Muslims - has seen how mindless violence has destroyed thousands of families. We can understand the pain and grief of the Sharma family,” said a sexagenarian neighbour of Sharma, who introduced himself with his first name Afzal.

In a direct reference to militants and their handlers across the border, he said that those preaching violence to young boys of Kashmir are not doing ‘jihad’ but spreading terror in the Valley.

“Islam is a religion that promotes peace and brotherhood. The most beautiful thing about Islam is that through your connection with Allah you are nice to everyone. Those who kill people in the name of religion are nothing but terrorists,” Afzal yelled in anger.

Another Muslim neighbour of Sharma questioned why terrorists carried out such a shameful act. “Can those behind this gruesome act answer whether killing someone due to his religious affiliation is justified? All religions teach peace and brotherhood. Those who are doing such acts in the name of religion are actually beasts,” he said.

The neighbours worked with Sharma family to make all the necessary arrangements for his cremation. “We collected the wood and made a funeral pyre. The killing of Sharma has shocked us all,” they said.

In neighbouring Shopian district, which a few years back was the epicenter of militancy, a candlelight protest was held to denounce the killing of Sharma.