Hindu Family Gifts Land; Vows to Rebuild Home of Muslim Journalist in Jammu
Mohit Bhat, opposition PDP spokesperson in a post on ‘X’ said, “Hinduism teaches that serving anyone in need irrespective of their religion , is serving the divine, and he proved it by giving his land to a man left homeless
SRINAGAR: Amid the escalating political storm over the Jammu Development Authority’s demolition of freelance journalist Arfaz Ahmed Daing’s house, a heartwarming act of communal harmony has emerged from Jammu and Kashmir’s winter capital itself.
A Hindu family has gifted a 5-marla (1,362 sq.ft) residential plot to the affected Muslim journalist and pledged to bear the cost of rebuilding his home. The gesture, captured in widely circulated videos on social media, shows an elderly Hindu resident Kuldeep Kumar Sharma affectionately called “Uncle Ji” handing over the land documents to an emotional Daing in presence of his minor daughter Tania Sharma.
“They have demolished his house built on 3 marlas (1,362 sq.feet). We are giving him 5 marlas of land. If they demolish 10 marlas, we will give him 20,” Sharma declares in the clip, underlining that the support is rooted in humanity, not religion.
The gift comes barely 24 hours after JDA bulldozers, escorted by heavy police deployment, razed Daing’s modest 40-year-old house built on 3 marlas in Jammu’s Transport Nagar. An online crowdfunding campaign has been launched to help the journalist rebuild a new home for himself and his family after the demolition of his house. In the past 24 hours, dozens of political leaders, social activists, and journalists have visited the site of the razed structure to express solidarity, condemn the action, and pledge their support to Daing and his family.
The journalist and several political leaders have alleged selective targeting of Muslim families, while the JDA insists the structure stood illegally on state land and was removed under a routine anti-encroachment drive.
In a powerful counter-narrative to the charges of communal bias, the Hindu family’s gesture has been hailed across social media as living proof of Jammu’s centuries-old brotherhood. Social media timelines overflowed with messages of “Hindu-Muslim-Sikh-Ittehad Zindabad (long live Hindu-Muslim-Sikh unity)” from users across communities, hailing the Jammu Hindu family’s gesture as a powerful affirmation that the region’s deep-rooted spirit of unity remains far stronger than any force seeking to divide it.
Mohit Bhat, opposition PDP spokesperson in a post on ‘X’ said, “Hinduism teaches that serving anyone in need irrespective of their religion , is serving the divine, and he proved it by giving his land to a man left homeless. Raise Your Hands In Prayers For Him Today.”
Visibly moved, Daing told reporters that the gift has renewed his belief in Jammu’s shared humanity. The 5-marla plot significantly larger than the 3 marlas we lost together with the donor family’s commitment to bear the full cost of reconstruction, has transformed a moment of devastation into one of profound hope, a family member added.
Among the political and social activists who rushed to the site of the demolished house to express solidarity with the journalist was former BJP J&K unit president and party’s national executive member Ravinder Raina. He while praising Sharma’s gesture said, “This is the real Jammu, this is the real Hindustan. What happened here yesterday was not right. I spoke to the Lt. Governor, and he assured me that the bulldozers were not sent on his orders.”
