Romi Sharma, a writer, artist and social worker, has become the brand ambassador for people in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK)

Romi Sharma, 42, a writer, artist and social worker, has become the brand ambassador for people in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) as her social media effort to reach out to displaced families of 1947 is gaining overwhelming support from people from both sides of the Line of Control.

A native of Poonch and presently in New Delhi, Romi took to uploading her stories and poems on the social media last year when one of her poems in Poonchi language found an earnest reader in PoJK who circulated it far and wide.

“It was only my love for language and connect with people of my region that made me upload a poem in Poonchi language on Facebook. It was read by some persons across the LoC and appreciations started pouring in my inbox,” Romi said, adding, “It became an instant hit among people in PoJK from Poonch origin”.

Khan Sharafat Arif Kakazai, a former staff officer of late Mohammad Abdul Qayyum Khan, Prime Minister of PoJK, who contacted her on social media, christened his daughter’s name after Romi. He wrote in Poonchi, “Maray ghara vich kuri paida hoi aj ma us na naam Roomi rakhya. Allah tusey ta tusain nay saray (A daughter is born in my family today whom I have named as Roomi after you. God bless you.)

Besides, a large number of people from Poonch scattered in PoJK have joined Romi’s community page on Facebook and are exchanging views and old rituals of people that used to be commonly shared before the Partition.

“So far, I have been successful in reuniting nine families in the Poonch region,” Romi said. The writer said that her endeavour was also inviting hate messages from fundamentalists. “My page and community link (Romi Sharma Poonchi-Apna Poonchi Parivaar) also carries some hate messages where people from the other side threatened me to stop and even called me a person from the Intelligence Bureau on some mission,” she added.

Romi said she was undeterred by such threats and had a strong support of people from both sides to carry on the work undertaken by her. “My only motto is to reunite families who were separated in 1947 irrespective of religion, caste or creed,” she said.