Salman Nizami, the senior congress leader of the Congress, posted a video that went viral in a short period. The video that he shared on the 24th of March 2017 shows a group of Sikh men who can be seen risking their lives to save the holy books of a mosque in Kashmir from destruction.
In the footage, water is shown gushing fiercely on one side close to the religious site in Tral, posing a huge risk to human lives. To help the Muslim community safeguard their sacred items, turbaned Sikhs can be seen working alongside the women. Among other things, they can be seen evacuating books.
The Sikh community has often gone above and beyond their call of duty to help distraught people in misery. It is well worth recalling the day when a bunch of Sikh men took over as a welcome respite for many people sweating in long lines after the government decided to demonetize its currency. In another notable incident, a 58-year-old Sikh man fought a masked man, who entered his petrol pump with a shotgun in his hand, with his slippers.
Stories of the peaceful and harmonious co-existence of the two communities abound. In south Kashmir that day, Muslim men saved an old Sikh man from a flash flood. The water level rose as a result of a burst of clouds in the upper reaches, leaving the man stuck in the middle of the stream. A large number of Muslim men came forward to rescue him and soon he was taken out from the spouting water.
Such incidents depicting camaraderie and bravery in a region that is regarded as being among the most disturbed and distressed, are truly heartwarming.
Sikhs have believed in the power of secularism all along. Selfless service to others is a crucial component of the Sikh religion. As part of their prayers, they ask for "Sarbat Da Bhalla" which means blessings for everyone regardless of their caste, sex, color, or religion.