Eid Al Adha and Kashmir

Ibrahim (Abraham) took it upon himself to face the command of God to sacrifice his dearest possession, his son. During his preparation to do so, shaitan (the devil) tried to dissuade Ibrahim and his family, but the devil was driven away by throwing pebbles at him ( another ritual performed during Hadj). When Ibrahim attempted to cut the throat of his son on Mount Arafat, he was astonished to see his son unharmed and instead, an animal slaughtered. Thus Ibrahim passed the test by his willingness to surrender to God’s command.

Hope this great festival that’s an embodiment of selflessness and sacrifice, brings peace upon the entire humanity, our country and especially Kashmir that has suffered as a result of years of strife and restlessness. The inclusiveness of Indian culture that’s replete with the examples of people from all over making India their permanent home, should also be extended to our Kashmiri brethren. Abrogation of Articles 370 and 35(a) is not a victory or defeat of certain sections of society, but first step towards assimilating Kashmiris into Indian mainstream and making them reap fruits of India’s growth story. Kashmiris also should not feel any sense of insecurity as it’s not as if the entire country is rushing to Kashmir to set up business there or own real estate and disturb the demography. These fears have been found to be untrue in most of the cases as opening up largely brings in prosperity and very few ills.

There cannot be a better occasion to share love and empathy with the people of Kashmir than wishing them a happy, prosperous and peaceful Eid. If they accept, we can all start planning our next vacation to be spent in this paradise on earth, as tourism is Kashmir’s mainstay and restoration of tourist traffic is a sure shot boost to Kashmir’s economic prosperity.

Happy Eid Al Adha to all my readers.