Amid raging debates on growing intolerance in India, a Kashmiri Pandit stationed himself blindfolded in the heart of the Kashmir Valley, inviting fellow Kashmiris to hug him, so he could promote a message of peace and harmony between different religious communities.
Sandeep Mawa was driven by a Muslim man in Paris, who stood in a similar manner after the horrifying November 13 terror attacks, asking fellow Parisians to hug him if they trusted him.
Mawa, a doctor by profession, received hugs from members of the Sikh as well as Muslim communities, and together they managed to send out a strong message of religious tolerance in the area that has been torn apart by sectarian strife for several decades now.
“We, all humans, are alike. When God has not differentiated between us, why should there be any division? There should not be any intolerance. This is the message we want to send across,” Mawa, chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Reconciliation Front, said.
He explained that the basic aim of his campaign was to promote interfaith dialogue, universal brotherhood, religious tolerance and also help build bridges between individuals of different communities within Jammu and Kashmir.
“We do not want politicians and agencies to divide people on the basis of religion. We will not allow anyone to harm Kashmiriyat. We oppose the hate campaign. The politics of religion is not good,” he said.
He also insisted that politicians should leave Kashmiris alone and stop trying to divide the region’s population any further, least of all on religious grounds.
Photo Credits: News World India
