Raina, Mehbooba visit bereaved family
Avtar Bhat
SRINAGAR, Feb 27: The last rites of Kashmiri Pandit bank guard, Sanjay Sharma, who was shot dead by terrorists yesterday, were performed at his native village Achan in Pulwama district of South Kashmir today under tight security arrangements.
The mortal remains of 40-year-old Sanjay were consigned to flames today according to Hindu rituals amidst the presence of relatives and neighbours, including a large number of local Muslims in his native village.
The Muslim neighbours helped the Kashmiri Pandit community members in performing the last rites of the martyr. However, tight security measures were made by the administration on the occasion and a big contingent of police was deployed in the area. The pall of gloom had descended on the poor family after the killing of their bread earner by militants yesterday.
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The words of political leaders and local residents who also strongly condemned the dastardly act failed to console the family members who were in total shock and trauma. They were wailing and sobbing as the killing had spelt a doom for the family and their all hopes had turned into despair.
Sharma was shot dead by terrorists on Sunday barely 100 metres away from his home in Achan in Pulwama as he was on his way to a local market. The local Muslims also strongly condemned the dastardly act saying this was against the teachings of religion and a blot on Kashmiriyat.
“We condemn the murder. We stand by the bereaved family. As soon as the news of the incident broke yesterday, people were ready to provide all help – blood, money, anything to save him. Unfortunately, he succumbed on the way (to hospital),” Bashir Ahmad Malik, a local resident, said.
He said the killing was a setback for the Hindu-Muslim harmony in the village which has existed since centuries.
“This is not the murder of one individual, this is murder of humanity. The people of this area are as much bereaved as the family of the victim,” Malik said.
Sharma became the first victim of target killings by the ultras this year. Last year, the terrorists shot dead 18 people, including three Kashmiri Pandits, a Bank Manager from Rajasthan and eight non-local workers in 29 attacks in the Valley.
Leaders of various political parties including BJP JK UT president, Ravinder Raina and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti visited the residence of Sanjay Sharma to console the family and express their condolences. They assured all support to the family at this hour of grief and shock.
Raina, who also attended the last rites of Sharma paid glowing tributes to him. He expressed his deep condolences to the bereaved family and assured all help to them.
Raina was accompanied by party vice president, Sofi Yousf, BJP spokesman, Altaf Thakur and other leaders.
“It is here shattering to witness such incidents, Terrorists who are working on the instructions of Pakistan have murdered humanity once again. There can be no words to describe such brutal incidents”, Raina said.
He said these killings are sabotage to the process started for peace and progress of Valley, “but we have full faith in our brave security forces that will decimate the killers in no time”.
Raina further said that whole BJP family stands with the bereaved family members of Sanjay Sharma. The party will always stand by the family and ensure that justice is delivered to it.
Talking to media persons, Raina later said that Government should adopt a policy on minorities including package and non package minority employees working in Valley. The decision should only be taken after framing a policy on them, he added.
Mehbooba Mufti also visited the family and expressed her deepest condolences. She said that Muslims are ashamed over the killing of a member of Pandit community. She also hit out at the Government for claiming that normalcy has been restored in Jammu and Kashmir.
The former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister said Kashmiri Muslims are ashamed over Sharma’s killing.
“We are the same people who put everything at stake in 1947 to protect the Kashmiri Pandits, Hindus and Sikhs living in the Valley when the subcontinent was reeling under communal riots,” she said.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief said Kashmiri Muslims are helpless today.
Mufti said Sharma has left behind a young widow and three kids. “The Government should provide a job to his widow,” she said.
Meanwhile the separatist Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has also condemned the killing of Kashmiri Pandit ATM guard, terming it as a “gruesome act”.
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