Thousands of Hindus who fled the Muslim insurgency in Srinagar prayed at the revered Kheer Bhavani temple,which many had not worshipped at for decades.
TULMULLA,KASHMIR: Under tight security thousands of Hindus who fled a Muslim insurgency in Srinagar offered prayers on Saturday at a revered temple many had not worshipped at for decades.
With flower petals in their hands and tears flowing down their cheeks families gathered at the Kheer Bhawani temple in Tulmulla, 30 kilometres (20 miles) northeast of Srinagar in a Muslim-dominated section of the state. An estimated 200,000 Hindus fled the the valley of Srinagar after the insurgency erupted in 1989 and settled in the southern part of the state, known as Jammu, to escape attacks. The insurgency has claimed 42,000 dead by official count and brought millions of security forces to the divided state which is claimed by Pakistan and India.
"I had never imagined my homeland is so beautiful," said Sunita Koul, 16, who lives in a two-room hut in Jammu. "I have been told we had a big house in Srinagar that is no more there," she said, as she showered flower petals and milk at Hindu gods inside the temple. Her father, who asked not to be named, said their house was set on fire two years after they left Srinagar. "With a broken heart, I have prayed for our return to our homeland. We want to die here," he said, as police ushered visitors to the temple through metal detectors.
Some Muslim Kashmiri separatist politicians have urged Kashmiri Pandits to return. However, most of them have sold off property or lost it to arson though some say they would like to rebuild as they were welcomed at the shrine by Muslims in the area.
"We want to come and live among our Muslim neighbours," says Bimla Handoo, a retired school teacher. "I have prayed for our union with our neighbours. My house is in bad shape but we will renovate it if we move back," she said.
Daily violence in the region has decreased since India and Pakistan, which hold the region in parts, launched a peace process in 2004 with the death toll down to two people a day this year from ten in 2001. "Things are brightening up. I am hopeful of our return," said Ashwani Bambroo, 37, who will visit Srinagar for the first time in 18 years before heading back to Jammu.
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