A Day of Humanity

From Sikh boys to sanitation workers, from sherbet stalls to silent prayers, the valley stood together in remembrance of Karbala’s sacrifice.

- Dr. Shahid Ali Khan

As I stepped out of my home in Rawalpora and made my way along the old airport road through the narrow lanes of Srinagar, something stirred deep within me.

It wasn't just another day. It was Ashura. A day of remembrance, sacrifice, sorrow. But above all, a day of humanity.

As I approached the solemn streets of Zadibal, I saw something that reached beyond the rituals.

I saw old men, their hands unsteady with age, standing beside children barely tall enough to hold a glass. They weren't asking for anything. They were giving.

They offered water, juice, sherbet, basil seed milk, with gentleness, to strangers and mourners alike. Their eyes held more than grief. They carried something deeper.

A love that asked for nothing in return, and needed no explanation.

Inside the Imambada, I saw young Sikh boys in black turbans handing out water. There was no separation, no suspicion, no question of who belonged, just people, bound by pain and presence.