Faisul Yaseen
Srinagar: A top Christian preacher and educationist in Kashmir, Father Sebastian Nagathungal Monday said a make-believe impression was being created in India as if the majority community was under threat from the minority community while Kashmir was witnessing religious tolerance.

“When we look around there is so much cruelty and hatred, as if the minority is a threat to the majority community in our country, which is unreasonable,” Father Sebastian of the All Saints Church in Srinagar said addressing an ‘Inclusive Kashmir Inter-faith Dialogue on Christmas’ organised by Foundation for Resource Development and Education (FRDE) at the church.

Father Sebastian, who is also the Principal of Burn Hall School, a top Christian Missionary School in the State, said compared to what was happening across India, Kashmiris still had tolerance for one another.

“(Jammu) Kashmir is still better than other states as here we have religious tolerance the way it should be,” he said.

According to 2011 Census, Kashmir has a Christian population of 11,857 and the miniscule minority community has mostly been at peace with the State’s majority community.

Another top Christian preacher of Kashmir, Father Viney Sunny, in his address expressed concern that only few people were mobilising peace in Kashmir.

“For the peace process to move ahead, one needs to come over religious affiliations,” he said on a day when Government of India’s Kashmir interlocutor, Dinewshwar Sharma landed in Kashmir for the third time.

Father Sunny expressed optimism that despite the problems during the past few years, Kashmir was moving ahead in development even as Jammu was getting benefits meant for it due to the situation in the Valley.

Calling upon Christian missionaries to play a role in mobilising youth, he said there was a need to make the Christian community throughout the world aware about what was happening in Kashmir.
“The need is for holding more dialogue in Kashmir,” Father Sunny said.

The programme started by lighting candles inside the church.

All Saints Church, also known as All Hallows Church, is a historical Protestant church in Srinagar, which is part of the Church of North India, a province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

All Saints Church falls within the Diocese of Amritsar and along with Holy Family Catholic Church is one of the two Christian churches in Srinagar.

Civil society members, representing different faiths, spoke during the programme and stressed on promoting religious tolerance and brotherhood.

A prominent Kashmiri Sikh, Gurmeet Singh gave examples of how Kashmiris representing different faiths continued to live in harmony and preserve Kashmiriyat.

Deputy Director Tourism, Waseem Raja said the level of cynicism and hopelessness among the younger generations was worrying.

He called upon sharing responsibility for creating a sense of hope among the youth.

Director Airport Authority of India, Sharad Kumar in his address urged netizens to open up and be peace-loving instead of blocking their minds on social media.

Former Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Commissioner and Health Officer, Dr. Shafkat Khan in his address talked about the syncretic values Kashmiris had preserved for centuries.

He said this was based on the trust and understanding between the people of the different communities and faiths living together for years.

On the occasion, prominent Kashmiri Pandit and Director Eaton Laboratories, Amit Wanchoo hailed the contributions of Christian missionaries who had worked with zeal in Kashmir.

He said the missionary schools like Tyndale Biscoe School, Mallison Girls School, Burn Hall School, Presentation Convent School and Saint Joseph School had shaped the lives of thousands of Kashmiris.

Speaking to Rising Kashmir on the sidelines of the programme, Director FRDE, Vice Chairman of J&K Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC), and the rightwing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesman, Sheikh Khalid Jehangir said Kashmiris were thankful to the Christian missionaries who had helped them attain quality education by setting up quality schools in the Valley.

He said Kashmiris belonging to different faiths shared a bond of trust and it was due to this trust that the majority community had always safeguarded the minorities, be it the Christians, Sikhs or Hindus.

“Certain people want to weaken Kashmiriyat but today’s programme is a message to them that the more you try to do that, the stronger Kashmiris will emerge,” Jehangir said.
The programme ended with the cutting of a Christmas cake.

(Source: risingkashmir / faisul@risingkashmir.com