In a powerful act of interfaith solidarity, a Kashmiri Sikh from Tral’s Sehmu village has donated a portion of his land to restore access to a local Muslim graveyard that had been inaccessible for nearly four years.
Pushvinder Singh, a retired social activist and former leader of the Farmer Trade Union, stepped forward to end the impasse by arranging a land exchange that allowed for the creation of a six-foot-wide, ninety-foot-long path leading to the Sheikh Mela Sehmu Barra graveyard.
“I changed my land and in return gave the land to another landlord,” Singh told *Kashmir Bulletin*. “I left these brothers six feet and ninety feet of way.”
The blocked route had caused distress among residents who had no proper access for funeral processions. Singh said his decision was rooted in the shared responsibilities and mutual respect that define the local community.
“If someone dies at night, even at 10 or 12, we consider them our mothers, our sisters, our aunts. At that time, our job is to arrange light, bring bricks for the grave, and stay until the burial is complete,” he said.
Highlighting the everyday coexistence of communities in Sehmu, the Kashmiri Sikh described how the boundaries between religious identities blur in daily life.
“There is a Sikh house on one side and a Muslim house on the other. The rainwater of both houses flows from one house to the other,” he said. “Our daughters have grown up in their courtyard, and their daughters have grown up in ours.”
Singh also underscored the deep-rooted nature of brotherhood in the area. “Even before politics came in, this bond existed. It was built on personal connection and trust,” he said.
He added that local disputes are often resolved internally through panchayat-style discussions. “Sometimes it’s about land, sometimes about the courtyard or property. But with God’s will and mercy, we sit down and solve them ourselves,” he noted.
Reflecting on Kashmir’s broader cultural ethos, Singh said, “This is the land of Rishi Munis. This is where the message of peace and brotherhood goes to the whole world.”
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
