Junaid ali

Pulwama, May 20(knz): Beneath the silent skies of Midora village in Tral, grief knew no religion on Wednesday as hundreds of Muslims and Sikhs joined the last rites of an elderly Kashmiri Pandit woman, offering a deeply emotional glimpse into Kashmir’s fading yet enduring spirit of brotherhood.

The narrow lanes of the village filled with mourners from different communities, many with moist eyes and folded hands, as they gathered around the grieving family in their hour of loss. From helping with funeral arrangements to accompanying the mortal remains to the cremation ground, the villagers stood together not as Muslims, Sikhs or Pandits — but as neighbours bound by decades of shared memories and affection.

Elderly residents recalled how the woman had spent her life among them, sharing joys, sorrows and festivals with families across communities. Her passing, they said, felt like a personal loss to the entire village.

As flames rose from the funeral pyre, silence gripped the crowd, broken only by prayers and sobs. Many residents described the moment as a painful reminder of Kashmir’s shared past a past where relationships were built on humanity before identity.

“In moments like these, we don’t see religion. We see a family in pain,” said a local resident, struggling to hold back tears.

The participation of Muslims and Sikhs in the funeral was widely seen as more than a gesture of sympathy — it was a quiet but powerful message that the spirit of coexistence and compassion still breathes in the Valley’s heartlands.(Knz)