Hundreds of people, including members of the Muslim community gathered in Khanoo, Babagund village of Langate to pay their last respects to 90-year-old Kashmiri Pandit Mohan Lal who passed away at his ancestral home after a brief illness.
Mohan Lal was among the few Kashmiri Pandits who has been living in his native village in Langate after displacement of many Pandit families in 1990. Mohan Lal was known for his simplicity, humility, and warm relations with people across communities.
His final rites were performed in accordance with Hindu traditions in the presence of family members, relatives. Local Muslims joined the final rites in large number, offered condolences to the bereaved family and stood in solidarity with them.
"Mohan Lal was an elder of our village and we all respected him throughout his life. Our bond with him was built on trust, affection, and mutual respect. His decision to remain in his ancestral village during difficult times strengthened the bond between communities," said Mushtaq Ahmad, a local.
"Mohan Lal lived among us with dignity and love for decades. I believe attending his final rites was our duty and a way of honouring a man who was respected by everyone in the area. Lately he didn't kept well but he was an intellectual who would always care for others," said former BDC Chairman Langate Showkat Pandit.
"The overwhelming participation in the final rites of Mohan Lal reflects the enduring tradition of communal harmony and peaceful coexistence of Kashmir, " he added.
