Sanjay Sharma, the Kashmir Pandit working as a bank guard in the Achan locality, was killed by militants in the Achan village of Pulwama district on Sunday, 26th February 2023. His Muslim neighbours helped his family members to perform his last rites.
Sharma was 42 years old, and this incident occurred outside his residence. Pulwama district assisted his family in completing his final rites on Monday, 27th February. According to locals, neighbouring Muslims came together to assist in Sanjay Sharma’s last rites.
Since Sharma’s family is the only Pandit family in the village, his friends and neighbours from the Muslim community volunteered to assist with the funeral today. They also handled his coffin and set up the wood for the funeral.
Mudasir Ahmad, a local, stated that Sharma was among them. They never consider Sanjay as a Kashmir pandit. The Muslim community made arrangements for everything necessary for the cremation.
He also added that they have done everything together and lived together. They have been connected for hundreds of years. They all rushed to comfort the family when they heard the sad news.
The relatives of Sanjay also stated that the village’s Muslims always assist them in times of need and do not interfere with religious matters.
They stated, “Muslims sit at a distance when a Pandit must perform a ritual, but they made the rest of the arrangements”.