'Azadi' slogans mar Sri Sri Ravi Shankar function in Srinagar
Zulfikar Majid, DH News Service, Srinagar, Mar 10 2018, 23:14 IST
Kashmiri women listen to a speech delivered by Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at Paigham-e-Mohabbat 'Peace in Paradise' rally, in Srinagar on Saturday. PTI Photo
A function organised by Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Srinagar on Saturday ran into controversy as some of the participants alleged that they were brought through deception.
Reports said the spiritual Guru had to cut short his speech and a subsequent press conference as several people attending the function stood up and shouted pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. The function was held at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), where Sri Sri said he had been invited by some well-meaning people to speak at 'Paigham-e-Mohabhat' (Message of Love) function.
Some of the angry participants said they had been cheated by the organisers, who had promised them that their bank loans would be waived at the function, while others said they had been invited with the promise of being gifted sewing machines.
Local media reported that over 1,000 people had been brought to the event from far off areas of the Valley. Videos of protests during the function were uploaded by several people on social media
Lured with freebies
"We were told that a Muslim cleric is a speaker and a non-governmental organisation would distribute cricket kits," a participant Mohammad Altaf, who had come from northern Kupwara district, around 110 km from the venue of the meeting, told reporters.
A press release by the Art of Living on Friday had said: "Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in his address at the event will call upon the community, especially the youth, to engage in the process of peace restoration in the paradise on earth, which has been gripped by violence and unrest over the past decades."
Lesser known Jammu Kashmir Coordination Committee (JKCC), the organisers of the function, said the idea behind holding this event was to find a lasting solution to the age-old Kashmir conflict.
Sri Sri had earlier also organised a similar peace initiative for Kashmir in Bangalore under the same title.
Reports said the spiritual Guru had to cut short his speech and a subsequent press conference as several people attending the function stood up and shouted pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. The function was held at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), where Sri Sri said he had been invited by some well-meaning people to speak at 'Paigham-e-Mohabhat' (Message of Love) function.
Some of the angry participants said they had been cheated by the organisers, who had promised them that their bank loans would be waived at the function, while others said they had been invited with the promise of being gifted sewing machines.
Local media reported that over 1,000 people had been brought to the event from far off areas of the Valley. Videos of protests during the function were uploaded by several people on social media
Lured with freebies
"We were told that a Muslim cleric is a speaker and a non-governmental organisation would distribute cricket kits," a participant Mohammad Altaf, who had come from northern Kupwara district, around 110 km from the venue of the meeting, told reporters.
A press release by the Art of Living on Friday had said: "Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in his address at the event will call upon the community, especially the youth, to engage in the process of peace restoration in the paradise on earth, which has been gripped by violence and unrest over the past decades."
Lesser known Jammu Kashmir Coordination Committee (JKCC), the organisers of the function, said the idea behind holding this event was to find a lasting solution to the age-old Kashmir conflict.
Sri Sri had earlier also organised a similar peace initiative for Kashmir in Bangalore under the same title.
