hindu-mulim leaders hell bent on dividing people on religious lines must read this. esp varun gandhi

Vaishno Devi : Where thousands of Muslims still carry Hindu children, aged pilgrims on 14 km arduous stretch to the Hindu shrine

Two decades of violence over separate state for Muslims, speeches by vitriolic Hindutva leaders
have failed to divide this communal harmony.

Jupinderjit Singh

Vaishno Devi, March

Religion has been badly used as a tool to divide people and cause umpteen deaths in the country. But not at Vaishno Devi, one of the most revered Hindu shrine. It offers the best example of communal harmony.

Despite decades of violence in Kashmir on demands of separate state for a single community, Muslim potters still carry Hindu children and aged devotees on their backs or in palanquins to the arduous 14 km climb to the highly revered Vaishno Devi-Bhairon Temple shrine near here.

Years of communal divide fed by Muslim leaders and vitriolic speeches by Hindutva leaders, including the latest by Varun Gandhi has not detached Muslims from helping the Hindus.


Not only potters, but palanquin carriers and horse owners besides masseurs working round the clock carrying and helping the pilgrims are mostly Muslims. Out of over 13,000 registered potters, palanquin carriers and horse owners, nearly 10,000 are Muslims.

It is quite an irony of sorts that many Hindu children or aged, who cannot walk all the way to the shrine actually complete their pilgrimage through Muslims. Some riding on their shoulders, others in the palanquins or on the backs of ponnies and horses, controlled by muslims.

“Sab dharam ek hi hein, saab, Koyi farak nahi hai, mein to itna hi janta hu.” (All religions are one. I know only this,) said Shah-ub-din, a pony owner when asked if he was comfortable with the job.

Economic survival, it seems, bridges all religious divide. An illiterate potter cum masseur , Abdul Rashid, puts it simple, “Roti saare dhamon ki deewar tor deti hai (survival bridges all religious divide).”


He used to till his ancestral land in Rajouri with his father and four brothers till few years ago. He never knew the strength of the family in numbers would prove their biggest weakness one day.

With their six acres land divided among five brothers, Abdul climbs 14 km of Vaishno devi-Bhairon temple daily carrying children, goods or massaging legs of tired tourists on the way to earn a livelihood.

Prolonged terrorism and cross border tension besides regular skirmishes and the wars have deprived these Muslims from earning livelihood through agriculture

Hamid, who belongs to poonch said he has got over three acres of land but it is close to border due to which he cant cultivate the land, “I sold jewellery and house to buy a horse for transporting goods or pilgrims to the temple. It is my livelihood.”

Divisive forces have failed to drive a wedge between Hindu and Muslims here. Militants had attacked pilgrims twice to disturb the peace but failed to achieve their aim. Only once, a Muslim potter was caught on the allegation of involved in militancy.

EOM