Bhalessa: The binding force of Hindu-Muslim amity

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The Kalgoni Temple remained all along a source of Hindu-Muslim amity. Situated and thickly carpeted with evergreen forests of Bhalessa dotted with tiny hamlets, is home to roughly equal numbers of Hindus and Muslims.

CJ: SADAKET MALIK

Thu, Aug 27, 2009 17:35:07 IST

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Jammu and Kashmir News :

NAMED AFTER the main stream of Bhalessa, Kalgoni stretches from Kansozoo and merges into the River Chenab. The Kalgoni Temple remained all along a source of Hindu-Muslim amity. Situated and thickly carpeted with evergreen forests of Bhalessa dotted with tiny hamlets, is home to roughly equal numbers of Hindus and Muslims. Owing to the movements of several chauvinists and fundamentalists, strong ties bind the Hindus and Muslims and have halted the complete polarisation of the populace. This is something that one can see here today.

Bhalessa terrain surrounded by mosques, temples, ancient Hindu religious places Durga Mata Cave in Khaljugasar and Mehlwaar, Kalgoni temple and Jamia Masid are really a great mortars for cementing this age old tradition of living with peace and brotherhood.

A fair is held at Kalgoni temple in the month of Baisakhi where the local Muslims and Hindus celebrate the same as a common venture. Holy places here could be promoted to attract tourists.

The ties between two communities has had maintained owing to such monumental holy places of Hindus and Muslims. The Markazi Jamia Masjid is managed by Bhalessa Tameeri Committee while as Kalgoni Temple is executed by Sanatan Dharam Sabha. Here is an Aman Committee aims at creating peaceful environment in the terrain. The committee has played a key role during turmoil. Both the communities pledged to live and protect one another from nefarious designs.

Interestingly, for the last five years, things began limping back to a semblance of normality in Bhalessa. The number of killings registered a rapid decline. Long spells of curfew were done away with. As were the army checkpoints that had come up at every kilometer or so on the road connecting Bhalessa with Doda and Jammu. Hindus and Muslims, were ecstatic about the prospects of peace.

People here inhibit has had thrown away the communal chauvinists initiated by so-called leaders. There was of late a movement of fundamentalists and chauvinists before but the things seemed changed now. Education has wiped all this.

There were of course so-called people's leaders over here before but till date the youth activists tried their level best to eliminate the empty slogans perpetuated by them.

But at the same time as communal identities have become increasingly polarised, large numbers of Hindus and Muslims still privately insist on the need for cordial relations and do their own bit in that regard in their own ways. Jointly demonstrating against the slaughter of innocent villagers in a remote village, Aman Committee jointly spearheaded by the elderly and eminent masses of Bhalessa is a major revolt against such communal frenzy. People are busy in pooling resources to rescue people trapped in an avalanche or injured in a road mishaps, or simply pointing out that true religion teaches love and that, as the tired clichés go, God is one and everyone's blood is red.

There are secular Hindu leaders as well as secular Muslim leaders who represent their own communities in line with the religious guidelines. On the eve of Id, Deepawali, Holi, Ramadan people host functions for each other and thus try to maintain their brotherhood.

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