Srinagar, March 23 -- In a small hamlet in Delina, along the Srinagar-Baramulla national highway in North Kashmir, 14-year-old Mohammad Zaman stepped out with a brand-new bicycle-an Eid gift he had received just two days ago-and donated it for the people of war-torn Iran. In Srinagar, a 60-year-old widow walked into a collection centre and handed over all her gold, parting with her entire life's savings. Across Kashmir, particularly in Shia-dominated pockets, long queues of men, women, and children are forming to make similar offerings, calling it a small gesture of love for the people of Iran.

For the past three days, residents across the Valley have been donating cash, gold, jewellery, land, and copperware. In Shia-majority villages, f...