Image: The Hindustan Times
In yet another example of India’s plural culture, two Hindu sisters have donated their father’s land to an Eidgah. According to NDTV, the sisters, Saroj and Anira, donated four bighas of land worth more than ₹ 1.5 crore to an Eidgah in Kashipur town of Uttarakhand in accordance with their late father’s final wish.
Although their father Brajnandan Prasad Rastogi died 20 years ago, they managed to realise his final wish only now. Rastogi, a great believer of communal harmony, wished to donate the four bighas of agricultural land to an Eidgah for expansion reported Times of India. However, he hesitated to say this to his son and two daughters. When 62-year-old Anita in Delhi and 57-year-old Saroj in Meerut learnt about this, they contacted their brother Rakesh in Kashipur. The three siblings agreed to give the land to the Eidgah committee.
The gesture touched Muslims in Udham Singh Nagar district. To reciprocate the goodwill they offered prayers for the dead man on Eid. Further, committee President Hasin Khan promised to felicitate the women for their gracious decision. He said that the two sisters are a living example of communal unity. Regarding the father, Khan said Brajnandan was the first to donate money for important occasions. After his death, his son carried on this legacy.
According to the newspaper, the Eidgah is built alongside a gurudwara and Hanuman temple. However, far from any conflict, the religious heads discuss and time their prayers so as to maintain peace in the neighbourhood.
This gesture comes as a breath of fresh air amidst an environment of growing communalism, and is a testament to how it’s ordinary citizens who do the most to uphold India’s n Constitutional values.
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