Kashmiri, Jammu citizens show solidarity after journalist’s house demolished
Jammu/Srinagar: A heartwarming display of interfaith solidarity emerged in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir after the house of journalist Arfaz Ahmad was bulldozed by Indian police in Jammu on Thursday.
According to Kashmir Media Service, on Friday, Kuldeep Sharma, a Hindu resident of Jammu, offered a plot of land to Afraz, a gesture that was reciprocated on Saturday by a Muslim businessman from Kashmir, who offered a land parcel to Sharma in the Valley. The sequence of gestures underscores that ordinary Kashmiris continue to uphold human values of compassion and fraternity, even as authorities attempt to politicise everyday life.
Afraz’s house was demolished by the authorities for what the journalist said, e was being targeted for speaking truth. Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, visiting the site on Saturday, openly blamed the LG administration and IAS/IPS officers, saying they “feel answerable to Delhi, not the elected government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.” Choudhary demanded an inquiry.
However, the human response stood out amid political turmoil. The Kashmiri businessman, moved by Sharma’s gesture, offered one kanal of land near Pampore to Sharma or its cash equivalent. “He started crying. I told him the land is nothing; I can even offer my blood. I pray he accepts my sincere gesture,” he said.
Kashmir observers say the episode reflects the enduring spirit of brotherhood among ordinary residents, even as the terriotry remains under constant political pressure and occupation. Amidst demolitions, administrative apathy, and partisan politics, acts of solidarity provide a rare glimpse of shared humanity in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
