J&K: In a far-off border village, mosque Imams prays for Gen Rawat

Srinagar: In a rare humane gesture, a couple of Imams in frontier Kupwara district offered Fatheh for the Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat here on Friday.

Fatheh are exclusive prayers offered by Muslims for the dead. It is perhaps first time that imams of mosques have offered the special prayers for a non-Muslim that too from the pulpit of the mosque.

The purported videos shared on social media showed an Imam at a mosque, at Machil which is close to the Line of Control, seeking blessings and forgiveness for the soul of Gen Rawat and others killed in the helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.

In another video a group of children are seen praying for the dead.

Srinagar based defence spokesman said the mosque Imams prayed for the departed souls.

"During the Friday prayers today afternoon at the mosques of Macchal, Pushwari, Dabpal and T Shuntwari of Macchal Sector, the moulvis addressed the people and prayed to Allah the Almighty to grant eternal peace to the departed souls of Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat and the 11 other Armed Forces personnel who were martyred in the tragic helicopter crash ..." the spokesman said.

Gen Rawat has served as the head of North Kashmir based 19 Infantry Division in 2012 and prior to that he commanded 5 Rashtriya Rifles Sector at Watlab in Sopore. Gen Rawat enjoyed a cordial relations with a section of people in Baramulla. A group of locals from the area have traveled to Delhi to pay tributes to the CDS. (UNI)