Kashmiri Muslim, Pandit unite for cause

In a state battling with frequent disharmony, here’s a tale of unity to live a common dream.

Real Kashmir FC, a football club that became the first from Jammu and Kashmir to be promoted to the I-League, has two co-owners that are differentiated by religion but bound by a common cause — that of promoting football in the Valley.

Shamim Meraj, a Kashmiri Muslim, and Sandeep Chattoo, a Kashmiri Pandit, came together to form Real Kashmir FC in April 2016 after witnessing the plight of the youth in the state during the devastating 2014 Kashmir floods.

“History and politics is a separate thing and the reality is different. Shamim and I have done it together, as a Hindu and a Muslim,” Chattoo said.

In a span of just two years, the club has created history by making it to India’s premier domestic football tournament, besides getting over 3,000 kids enrolled in its grassroots academy.

“I am a Muslim, Sandeep is a Hindu, we had Scottish coaches, players from Punjab, Bengal, Shillong. It just shows the strength of unity in diversity,” Meraj said.

Chattoo added: “In Kashmir, people are talking about how there is a Pandit involved in this dream. It is an example for everyone else in Kashmir.”

The club’s rise

Real Kashmir Football Club was officially launched in April 2016, and played its first national tournament in September 2016. Two years on, it has been promoted to the I-League