Amid his recent controversial statements that a Syria-like situation will happen in India if Ram Mandir is not built at Ayodhya, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shanker's Pagam-e-Muhabbat (Message of Love) for Kashmir proved a nonstarter here on Saturday.
Most of the people, around 2000, walked out of Sheri-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre in Srinagar on the banks of Dal lake when the Art of Living founder was speaking.
The event was organised by Jammu Kashmir Coordination Committee (JKCC). Those who attended the event had come from different parts of Kashmir.
Some of them said they attended the event to get a free sporting kit. Others said they were told they could be employed in welfare schemes.
''We were told we will get a free sporting kit like cricket bats and other things, but nothing was provided to us by the organisers,'' said Javid Ahmed, a participant. “We came here at 9 am and were not even offered a glass of water, let alone a meal, up to 3 pm.''
He said an NGO came to his village and offered a free ride to those who want to attend the event.
Ahmed said he was part of a13-member students group who attend the function, but most of them feel cheated by the organisers.
''The organisers lied to us about the true motive of the event,'' he said. Other participants also agreed.
Javid said the participants started leaving the venue when Sri Sri was speaking because they felt cheated.
Sri Sri later addressed a press conference and said, ''If we keep harping on the old things we become sad. We have to move on. We have the courage, power, and will to become resilient and see towards the future of society.”
He parried the questions about his controversial statement that India will become like Syria if Ram Mandir was not built at Ayodhya.
“We have come here to spread the message of peace. We have come here for this issue,'' he said. ''This is an issue of human relationship and sufferings.”
JKCC said the idea to organise Paigam-e-Mohabbat, in Srinagar is to carry forward the message of peace and harmony propagated by Sri Sri in Bangalore in November 2017.
Sri Sri hosted Muzaffar Wani, father of slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar wani in Bangalore in 2016. More than a 100 people were killed in the separatist uprising after the killing of Burhan.