Demonstrating harmony and hospitality, a Muslim family here opened its home and heart -- to a film team from Pune stranded after the nationide lockdown was imposed on March 25.
It's the true spirit of Kashmiriyat, said Nachiket Guttikar who has been staying at the home of Nazim Malik in Gatha village in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district for several weeks and counting.
With him are his team members Shamin Kulkarni and Ninad Datar. The team reached here on March 15 to shoot for a documentary and was scheduled to board a flight from Jammu to Pune on March 25, the very day the lockdown came into effect.
The night before, on March 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a three-week lockdown to stem the spread of COVID-19. It was evident they had no option but to stay put.
"The situation was scary when the government announced the lockdown. We were in panic because surface as well as air traffic was suspended and all hotels were closed," Guttikar said.
Seeing that the travellers were in distress, Malik's family offered them their house.
'"We were so fortunate that this family graciously came forward and gave us the offer to stay with them," Guttikar said.
"It has been several weeks since we have been staying with this family. We are feeling at home because of the friendly nature of all the members," he said.
"I am quite sure this type of hospitality cannot be found anywhere. This is the real Kashmiriyat which we often hear about," he added.
The Malik family members also consider themselves fortunate, saying they have got an opportunity to help distressed strangers amid the unprecedented health crisis.
"It is not a favour we made to them. If tomorrow our children get stuck in the same situation, someone will surely extend a helping hand to them," Malik said.
"The guests are welcome to stay at my home till the situation demands," he said.
The lockdown has been extended till May 3. PTI CORR TAS AQS
Pune-based filmmaker Nachiket Guttikar was packing up things to leave for his home state Maharashtra when a nationwide lockdown was announced to combat the coronavirus threat.
Guttikar, along with his team members Shamin Kulkarni and Ninad Datar, had arrived in this picturesque town on March 15 to shoot for a documentary. They were scheduled to board a flight to Pune from Jammu on March 25, but the announcement of the country-wide lockdown on March 24 meant that they had to further spent at least the next three weeks at the place.
"The situation was scary when the government announced the lockdown. We were in panic because the surface as well as the air traffic was suspended and all hotels were closed," Guttikar said.
A Muslim family in Gatha village then offered them their house.
"We were fortunate enough that this family graciously came forward and offered us to stay with them," Guttikar said.
"It has been several weeks that we are staying with this family. We are feeling at home because of the friendly nature of all the members," he said.
"I am quite sure that this type of hospitality cannot be found anywhere. This is the real Kashmiriyat which we often listen to," he added.
The family of Nazim Malik considers itself fortunate that they got an opportunity to help distressed strangers in the wake of the crisis due to the pandemic outbreak.
"It is not a favour we had made to them. If tomorrow our children get stuck in the same situation, someone will surely extend a helping hand to them," Malik said.
"The guests are are welcome to stay at my home till the situation demands," he said.
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