NARINDER SAFAYA( 1952-2025)
I am pained to know that Safaya Ji is no more. I knew he was unwell. I met him in 2024 in Delhi. He was on dialysis but looked normal and was planning a visit to Kashmir even at the cost of his health. To see peace and normalcy returning to Kashmir remained his mission till he breathed his last. He had other health issues as well. He was a poet and a successful advocate at the Supreme Court of India.
Together with some more friends, he started the BAITHAK, a space to build bridges. I was also associated with it. During these Baithaks, I saw the man closely. He was sincere, passionate, and with a profound desire to bridge the gap between Kashmiris in his own way. Never ever did he nurture any malice or ill will against any person at any point in time. He involved every person he knew in this mission. And in this task, he had started focusing on youth, quite often visiting Jammu and Srinagar, spending money from his own pocket.
When I received the SaMaPa Award, he came to see me. He looked tired as he had done dialysis that day. I was moved by this gesture.
Once he told me, "I am putting planks to allow people to cross the river and see each other, but some fools are still engaged in demolishing bridges ." He told me that he felt deeply hurt by the disinformation being spread by some so-called intellectuals against the Kashmiri Pandit community and their icons like Lal Ded, Arinmal, Kalhan and many more. He felt a strange helplessness at it. Nevertheless, he remained steadfast on his path and mission till his last day. Such noble souls are rare. May his pious soul attain Sadgati and Moksha.
( Avtar Mota )
CHINAR SHADE by Autarmota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.
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