When 13 migrant Kashmiri Pandit doctors returned to the valley to meet their long-separated Muslim classmates on Monday, they probably expected awkward moments and long silences, not a rush of emotion.
SRINAGAR: The first stop was the Government Medical College, or GMC. The second was an ornate dinner table, where a wazwan spread awaited them. The occasion was a homecoming, which has taken 17 years.
When 13 migrant Kashmiri Pandit doctors returned to the valley to meet their long-separated Muslim classmates on Monday, they probably expected awkward moments and long silences, not a rush of emotion. But that’s exactly what the meeting provided. It set the stage for dialogue and friendship to bind the two communities, which fell apart after the onset of militancy in the Kashmir valley.
Dr Anil Ganjoo, a noted skin and laser specialist who came from Delhi, could not keep his emotions in check. “Today, I have everything, but I still miss my Kashmir,” said Ganjoo. “When I saw my old friends, this trip became a second homecoming for me and my family.”
A total of 13 Pandits descended on the valley from various parts of the country for a reunion that had been thought up by the alumni of Government Medical College, Srinagar. They wanted to provide a platform for the migrant Pandits and Muslims, who share a language and a culture but are divided by circumstances. Evidently, the plan worked well.
When militancy invaded the valley in 1990, these doctors had been writing their final year MBBS examination. The threats pushed them out, and many migrated to Delhi to start life anew.
“We lost touch with them after that,” said Dr Iqbal Saleem, who organised the meeting. “But we wanted to see them again, to tell them that we want to revive the bond. Thereafter, it took us a few phone calls and emails to have them here.”
“This is my second homecoming,” said Dr Sunil Bhat, a radiologist based in Jammu. “I feel this will promote more interaction between the two communities and take our ties to the level before 1990.”
The meeting of old friends has melted more than a few hearts. “Pandits are an inseparable part of Kashmir’s composite culture,” said Saleem Geelani, interlocutor for Pandits of the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference. “We feel encouraged by the efforts of these doctors because it will boost our efforts to initiate a dialogue between the communities.”
The government, too, is pleased. “It is encouraging to see people trying to overcome the walls of hatred,” said Qazi Mohommad Afzal, senior PDP leader and J&K’s minister for forests and environment. “This is a good sign. It will go a long way in building trust between Pandits and Muslims of Kashmir.”
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