In a show of inter-faith solidarity, members of Muslim, Sikh and Pandit communities from across Tral area Wednesday visited the home of a Sikh girl who was allegedly stabbed and harassed to make her change religion.
They stood together at the Gadpora house of the girl, demanding an impartial enquiry into the alleged incident of July 2.
“The attack on our Sikh daughter is an attack on Tral as whole. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our Sikh brethren,” said chairman Idara-e-Auqaf Tral, who also visited the girl’s family home.
“We would want a free and fair investigation into the matter.”
Last week a Sikh girl student (name withheld) studying at polytechnic college of Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST), Awantipora alleged she was harassed and stabbed by some masked motorcycle-borne assailants at bus stand in Tral.
The girl suffered an injury in her hand and was treated at sub-district hospital Tral. Her medical report however says she was injured in a road mishap.
President of traders union Tral-i-Payeen, Kar Ashfaq said no one would be allowed to take any political advantage from the alleged incident.
Ashfaq said Sikhs were living amicably with their Muslim brothers in Tral and will continue to live without any problem.
The Sikh members of the community also cautioned the incident should not be allowed to divided the people of Tral.
“Some political leaders are trying to create a vacuum between us which we should restraint jointly,” said chairman Jammu and Kashmir minority front, Dr Joginder Singh Shan Kashmiri, adding Tral was an example of mutual brotherhood and Sikhs were safe in their respective areas.
A video clip went viral showing the Sikh girl also alleging a group of students at IUST, during the fasting month of Ramadan mentally tortured her and asked her to change her religion. Later, the video was also broadcast on some news TV channels.
A well informed source said a minority community political leader went to the house of the Sikh girl and shot the video with an intention of gaining political advantage by creating communal tension in Tral and maligning the image of IUST.
The leader uploaded the video on social media and also sent it to some TV channels.
Police have registered a case and were investigating the alleged incident.
“Some suspects were detained for questioning and the case will be resolved very soon,” said Mohammad Zahid Malik, superintendent of police Awantipora.
Meanwhile, IUST management has begun an internal investigation into the matter and has offered free hostel facility and a free bus service for the security of the girl.
The University described the video as propaganda against it and demanded action against “hate mongering news reports and people who are hell bent on creating communal tensions in Kashmir.”
“Islamic University of Science and Technology has and will always stand for inter faith unity and strongly believes in communal brotherhood and respect for religious equality and harmony which are the core values of the university,” said a spokesman of IUFA, appealing the people to remain vigilant of the disruptive elements in the society.