Setting an example of commul harmony

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

SIVASAGAR, Feb 23: Humanity has no religion - there can be no better example than this. In a faith-restoring act, a group of Muslim men of Jengonikotia village in Sivasagar performed the last rites of an old man after his death as per Hindu tradition.

 A group of Muslim men of Jengonikotia village in Sivasagar, saw to it that every single Hindu ritual was followed during the last rites of 65-year-old Bharat Yadav. According to the villagers, Bharat Yadav, who origilly hailed from Darbhanga district in Bihar, came to Sivasagar and had been living alone at Jengonikotia village for the last 45 years. He was suffering from asthma and breathed his last on Tuesday morning.

 Since he left no one in his family to carry the body to the crematorium; the Muslim community of the area stepped up and carried the body to the Shantiban crematorium at Tha Ghat and performed the last rites, which is at a distance of three kilometres. For his funeral, his Muslim neighbours made sure that all the Hindu rituals were taken care of in his funeral. Anuwar Hussain, who took the lead in arranging for Bharat’s last rites, said, “No religion preaches hatred towards others. Bharat was a popular man in the area and he was like our brother.”

Manirul Islam Bora, senior jourlist and grandson of Dr Moidul Islam Bora, who is a resident of the area said, “We often see a section of Hindu and Muslim people spreading commul poison in the me of religion. However, the death of Bharat Yadav has proved that commul harmony still exists in the pious land of Sankar Deva and Ajan Fakir.” “Hindus and Muslims are like two sons. We have been living brotherly life. There is no place of hatred amongst us here in Sivasagar,” Bora further added. This act of humanity shown by the people of Jengonikotia, was lauded by all sections of people in Sivasagar.