New Delhi: At a time when the debate on intolerance appears to be dominating public discourse in the country, a Kashmiri Pandit came up with a rather unique way to highlight inter-religion camaraderie and brotherhood in the valley and the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
On Monday, Sandeep Mawa, a doctor by profession, accompanied by members from the Sikh and Muslim community, stood blindfolded at the Press Colony in Srinagar inviting people to hug him. In a unique message of tolerance through what they termed as the ‘Hug Campaign', the participants embraced people regardless of their religion in a bid to send a message of tolerance.
“We, all humans, are alike. When God has not differentiated between us, why should there be any division? There should not be any intolerance. This is the message we want to send across," Mawa, who is chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Reconciliation Front, said.
The campaign draws its inspiration from a similar gesture by a Muslim man who stood blindfolded in Paris asking people to embrace him if they trusted him after the November 13 attacks.
"We do not want politicians and agencies to divide people on the basis of religion. We will not allow anyone to harm Kashmiriyat. We oppose the hate campaign. The politics of religion is not good," Sandeep Mawa said. Mawa further said that politicians should leave the people of Kashmir alone and desist from "dividing" the people.
He also asked the Centre to talk to Pakistan to "address the Kashmir issue", saying the neighbour country was "a party to the dispute".
