This apple rich town was once nicknamed ‘Chota Pakistan’. Bomai village has now become a bridge between the migrant Kashmiri pandits and local Muslims.
SAPORE: This apple rich town was once nicknamed ‘Chota Pakistan’ because of the heavy presence of militants. Seventeen years on, Bomai village has become a bridge between the migrant Kashmiri pandits and local Muslims.
Fifteen Kashmiri pandits had fled the village in 1990, fearing for their safety. But the entire village came out onto the streets to receive them in an emotional reunion on Sunday.
For Roshan Lal, the scene brought back memories of the pre-1990 period when he was running a medical shop in his village. Lal could not hold his emotions when he saw his neighbours and was treated to a cup of traditional ‘Namkeen Chai’ by them. “I want to come back home. I do not care for security because these Muslim neighbours are my biggest source of inspiration,” says Lal.
The group came here on Sunday to assess the situation in Sopore first hand. Most were appalled by the devastation of their homes and encroachment of their orchards. Yet the warm welcome by their Muslim brethren reduced the pain to some extent.
“My house is totally devastated and my land has been encroached upon. But the love and affection is still the same. I wish I could live here again. This is something we have been craving for long,” said Ramesh Kumar.
A few yards away from Bomai village, Abdul Gani Bhat had an unexpected guest: Makhan Lal, his old pandit friend. Bhat’s daughter Laali was getting married and Makhan, along with his mother and brother, had come all the way from Jammu to bless her. “How could I miss the marriage of my daughter? The day I came to know I decided to come at any cost. And when I came I did not find any malice but love and affection. We ate together we sat together and we party together. I cannot express my happiness in words,” said Lal.
The mastermind behind this reunion was Haji Abdul Rasheed, the local MLA, who initiated this process in a bid to restore confidence between the two communities. “As a citizen of Sopore I wanted to initiate a dialogue with Pandits living in Jammu. Today I feel I’ve achieved the goal to some extent,” said Haji, who is also the chairman of J&K Handicrafts Corporation. He said the government will construct temporary huts for the people if they wish to comeback. “We’ve promised that all the encroachments will be removed. Even the Muslims who have encroached on their land have offered to move voluntarily,” he said.
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