HAJAN, Oct 3: As Hindus and Muslims danced and dined together to celebrate the marriages of three children of Kukka Parrey, the militant-turned-legislator, Kashmiriyat thought it had got another chance in Kashmir Valley.The week-long marriage festival in this dusty and backward native village of Parrey, turned into a platform for the two estranged communities to meet each other. Capt Tickoo, a close aide of Parrey, said that inviting Kashmiri Hindus was part of Parrey's political plans to revive the snapped ties between Kashmiri Hindus and Muslims in the wake of militancy.The marriage of Zamrooda, Nayeema and Khursheed also turned into a major security exercise for the Army following threats from the militants, who have lately sneaked into the areas around Parrey's citadel. Sniffer dogs were on the prowl, armymen kept watch on the roads and the ``Ikhwanis'', armed followers of Parrey, who are working with the Army, eyed the visitors with suspicion.Haji Mohomad Afzal, a villager, said he was thrilled to know that Parrey had married his children in the families of teachers. ``After all, he is a big man now but see, unlike others, he maintains his humble links with people''. In fact, the entire marriage preparations pegged around Parrey's political designs of bringing the Kashmiri migrants closer to Kashmir. The invitation card printed in English, Urdu and Kashmiri, was designed by a famous Kashmiri artist Vir Munshi, who lives in Delhi.Parrey, an exponent of Kashmiri sufiana music, went ecstatic and played his synthesiser on the occasion. He rendered devotional songs to the thrill of the invitees from Jammu and Delhi, many of whom had stayed in Hajan for a week.Sheila Dhar, a relative of a close aide of Parrey, said she had come to Kashmir after eight years. ``I was so scared to come and here but I am moving around freely and even supporting a bindi'', she said, as she joined other women in a dance party which followed the tunes being played by a police band in attendance.Parrey's human concern was quite visible: there was, to the surprise of all, a separate pandal for the ubiquitous drivers and securitymen of the VIPs. And what's more, there was no discrimination in treating the guests.
