A group of civil society members comprising scholars and activists visited Kashmir from 20th June to 24th June 2025. The delegation included Shri Rama Shankar Singh, Shri Gopal Thakur, Shri Arun Shrivastava, Dr. Sunilam, Pramjit Mann, Randhir Gautam, Devesh Sharma, Utsav Yadav, and approximately 20–25 other members of civil society.
The purpose of the visit was to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir and to understand the challenges they face. The mainstream media has often portrayed them as "others" and anti-national. Despite being victims of terrorism, the people of Kashmir continue to demonstrate a deep yearning for democracy and peace.
We also visited Pahalgam, where a tragic terrorist attack on April 22, 2025, claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians.
Our visit included meaningful conversations with local peole , activists, and intelllectuals.
This four-day visit has undoubtedly enriched our understanding.
Brief Reflections from the Visit-
21st June: We visited Pahalgam and stayed there. An evening discussion was organized, where members from Citizens for Democracy, PUCL, and several other groups participated. They shared accounts gathered from local residents regarding the Pahalgam terror attack.
All participants unanimously expressed solidarity with the people of Kashmir. They also highlighted encouraging developments in the ongoing efforts for peace.
22nd June: We attended a session of Samajwad ka Paathshala, organized by the Socialist Party (India). Several Kashmiri experts spoke about the challenges. Many members from our group actively participated with a sense of mutual learning and dialogue.Later, we visited Dr. Maroof Shah, an eminent scholar of Kashmir, who briefed us on civil society initiatives and grassroots social development efforts in the region.
23rd June: Our group met Dr. Farooq Abdullah former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. We extended an invitation to him for the 90th Socialist Solidarity Conference, to be held from 19th to 21st September 2025 in Pune, commemorating 90 years of the socialist movement. He kindly agreed to attend. During the interaction, he expressed solidarity with our concerns and our stand against communalism.
Dr. Abdullah shared valuable insights into the current political crisis in Kashmir and Indian politics more broadly. He expressed hope that collective social movements, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and the legacy of the freedom struggle, can help resolve the ongoing issues.
We visited Gulmarg and interacted with local workers. They shared that tourist visits have slowly resumed, which gives a sense of hope for economic recovery and social healing in the region.
Brief Account of the initiatives of the Sadbhav Ekta Mission-
Met local people and expressed solidarity with them.
Discussed matters of concern to the local communities.
Initiated dialogue with civil society groups working in Kashmir.
Collected reflections and reminiscences from our group members and shared them on social media to encourage fellow Indians to visit Kashmir—thereby enriching the local economy and promoting a more empathetic and realistic understanding of the region.
Aimed to develop individual, collective, and institutional initiatives to promote Kashmiri culture.
Planned future visits to Kashmir with larger groups and resolved to share the positive experiences of Kashmiri people with the wider society in order to counter mainstream, manufactured propaganda of Mainstream media that is both anti-constitutional and anti-people.
The four-day visit offered an enriching experience of Kashmiri culture, art, and political reality.
It was heartening to witness the hospitality and respect shown by the local people towards Indian citizens.
The people expressed a deep desire for peace and harmony in society.
As we raised slogans like "Jai Hind", "Jai Kashmir", and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai", many Kashmiris responded with visible joy.
This response reflected that our initiative succeeded in conveying a sense of people's solidarity, hope, and shared humanity.