SRINAGAR: The spiritual leader of Buddhists, Dalai Lama, who is currently on three-day visit to Zanskar in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday called for religious harmony in the region but chose to remain mum on the issue of ‘social boycott against Muslims, reports said Wednesday.
The Zanskar region in Ladakh has witnessed tensions between the minority Muslim and Buddhist communities since 2012 after 22 Buddhist members from lower casts reverted to Islam in Padam area.
In September 2012, the tension snow-balled into communal clashes which left dozens of people injured while many of wounded persons from Muslim community were shifted to SKIMS Soura here in Srinagar.
This year also, a clash took place on May 9 in which a Muslim youth was injured after being thrashed by a Buddhist mob.
The exiled Buddhist spiritual leader Dalai Lamai addressed a gathering of Muslim Community at Model Public School Padam. While stressing on religious harmony, the Dalai Lama called on both communities to live in peace and avoid clash with each other. He called for brotherhood and said all religions teach peace and brotherhood, Fayaz Wani, the president of Muslim Association, said over phone.
Dalai Lama was invited by local Muslim groups, a resident said.
Fayaz said they also presented a memorandum to Dalai Lama in which they mentioned the hardships Muslim community is facing since 2012 at the hands of Buddhist community in the region.
He, however, expressed his displeasure over Dalai Lamas silence over social boycott against Muslims.
He did not utter a single word over it. Though we were expecting that he would also speak over it, he said, adding: In memorandum, we had also mentioned the issue of social boycott against us. (Kashmir Dispatch)
His Holiness Dalai Lama today addressed Muslim community. He spoke over the unity and appealed both the communities to live peacefully, Muhammad Shafi, a local government teacher, said over phone. However, Shafi said, He was silent over social boycott against Muslims.
The local Muslim population has been saying that since 2012, Buddhist community has enforced social boycott against them.
The Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Zanskar, Feroz Ahmad Khan, while talking to GNS said he also met Dalai Lama and apprised him about the situation. I told him to play role in normalizing situation and I also told him about the issue of social boycott, he said.
Fayaz, like many other Muslim community members, is hopeful that hardships which Muslims are facing would end after Dalai Lamas visit.
He told us that he has conveyed to Buddhists to maintain peace, Fayaz said.
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