Handwara, Aug 01: The death of 86 year old Mohan Lal, a Kashmiri Pandit who chose to stay in his native village despite decades of turmoil, brought together the entire village of Khano Bababgud on Saturday as Muslim neighbours performed his last rites and bid him a heartfelt farewell.
Mohan Lal had been battling cancer for a long time. Living in poor financial condition, he depended largely on the support of local residents during his illness. Villagers said they stood by him through his difficult days, helping him with his daily needs and ensuring he never felt abandoned.
While thousands of Kashmiri Pandits left the Valley during the early 1990s, Mohan Lal decided to remain in the village where he had spent his entire life. Residents said he continued to live peacefully among his Muslim neighbours, who treated him like a member of their own families.
“He never left Kashmir, and we never made him feel he was alone here,” a local resident said. “He lived with us as our elder, and today it was our responsibility to stand with him in his final journey.”
As news of his death spread, villagers gathered at his home to help with the funeral arrangements. Residents said every individual contributed something needed for the last rites. Some arranged the wood and other materials, others helped prepare the cremation site, while many accompanied the funeral procession and offered their support until the final rituals were completed.
The villagers said helping Mohan Lal during his illness and standing beside him after his death was a natural duty towards a neighbour who had shared their joys and hardships for decades.
Many described him as a humble and respected man who maintained warm relations with everyone in the village. They recalled that despite advancing age, illness and financial hardship, he chose to remain in his ancestral home, placing his trust in the people around him.
For the residents of Khano Bababgud, Mohan Lal’s final journey became more than a funeral. It reflected the bond he had built over a lifetime with his neighbours, who ensured that he left this world with dignity, respect and the support of the community he had always called home.
