I am dedicating this piece to all the common people who, in
their small but significant ways have stood up for peace and communal harmony that
unequivocally underlines the cultural heritage of this nation.
I would first like to share a news report that I came across
while reading a newspaper back in 2014. The link to the news report, featured
in Indian Express, is given below:
The news report is about a Hindu couple taking over the
maintenance and upkeep of the mazaar of Baba Hazrat Wazidali Shah Rahmatuallhe
Allaihe after about a dozen Muslim families were forced to flee Hindu-dominated
Pakkisarai village following the 1989 riots. The tomb, according to the report,
is situated on the Bhagalpur-Kahalgaon Road. This family is taking care of the
mazaar since 1989. Girija Devi continued her husband Suresh Bhagat’s legacy
after his death. She acts as the caretaker of the mazaar and stays in a hut
near the mazaar.
When I read this news item, I felt that it would not be
possible for anyone to discredit this gesture. I felt that this gesture of this
Hindu couple could only be appreciated. I don’t know whether this is true or
not, but on reading the online version of this story I found some comments by
certain readers that I felt should not be left unanswered.
One of the comments reads, “this hindu family got the business with no
investment now since dargha as more customers income must be good but since
there is no muslim in village this dargha should be razed to ground” ( http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/left-behind-by-muslims-a-tomb-now-has-hindu-caretakers/).
I don’t have anything to offer to people with such
mentality, but only a prayer for their speedy recover from the disease of blind
and senseless hatred that is eating up their very being.
Some other comments read, “Muslims on the other hand, would have demolished
the "infidel" structure or converted it into a mosque long ago”, or “Bring me the proof of the where
"muslim head of village performs all rituals of durga pooja”?” ( http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/left-behind-by-muslims-a-tomb-now-has-hindu-caretakers/).
I felt that there was a need to satiate the desire for proof
expressed by this person. And so in search for that ‘proof’, I hit upon this
story, the link to which is provided below:
I think, the story of Mohammad Zahir, the caretaker of Lord
Shiva temple in Khandwa, Indore, along with the dargah there, is enough ‘proof’
to quench anybody’s thirst.
If still there remains a doubt in anybody’s minds on the
deeply entrenched nature of communal harmony in our country, here is something
that one should at least cursorily go through once:
The short point that I am trying to make here is that we
have inherited communal harmony, respect for each-others’ faiths and beliefs
and an inherent instinct to stand by each-other in hours of need, through our
rich cultural heritage. This is the hallmark of our culture, an inseparable
part of our ‘nationalism’. Our love for our nation cannot be ever separated
from our inherent trait of living in communal harmony. This is what defines our
nation, and will always do. Anything contrary to this is completely unnatural
to our national characteristic. And come what may, howsoever slow and gradual
the process might be, the natural characteristics of a people or a nation
cannot be destroyed. All attempts at doing so will only make these rise back
with double force, and shine even brighter than before. It will only need a bit
of effort from our side, to keep on spreading the message of peace and communal
harmony, to ensure that our real past and history remains alive and is not
allowed to be forgotten or erased, and to create a future that is secure from
all hatred and false propaganda, and truly defines what our rich culture and
people really stand for.
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