Muslims help perform last rites of Kashmiri Pandit in Valley

Spreading a message of unity and brotherhood, around 3000 people, mostly Muslims, gathered in Pulwama's Trichal village to attend the final rites of a local Kashmiri Pandit.

50-year old Tej Kishan, who lived here in Muslim dominated area, died after remaining paralyzed for one and a half year at his home.

The Muslim community helped the family to perform the last rites of Kishan as per the Hindu rituals.

"This is true Kashmir; this is our culture and we share brotherhood. We do not believe in duality or divisive politics. We share composite culture," said Janki Nath Panditha, the deceased's brother.

Tej Kishan decided to stay back in the Valley during the tumultuous years of nineties, when majority of the population of the Kashmiri Pandit Community chose to move out of the region due to the threat from Islamist Kashmiri militancy.

"Majority of people present in the last rituals were Muslims. We performed his last rites. We condemn incidents which try to create differences between Hindus and Muslims. We live here in peace and harmony," Muhammad Yousuf , Kishan's neighbour, said.

Another relative of the deceased said that the villagers live in peace and harmony without any communal tension.

Kishan never left his native place saying that he grew up here with his Muslim friends and he would prefer to die among his own people.

As soon as the news about his demise spread in the region, several Muslim friends rushed to the hospital to bring back his body to his ancestral home.

Kishan's Muslim neighbours spread the word about performing his last rites over Mosque loudspeakers in the entire region.