As the country is fighting coronavirus pandemic and hate-mongering at the same time, there are stories that tell us that humanity is still alive. In a heart-warming story, a Hindu couple from Assam, stranded in West Bengal because of the COVID-19 lockdown, found shelter in a Muslim home in the state’s Murshidabad district and has been living with them for the past one month, Outlook reported on April 22.
Citing the Bengali daily Aajkal, the weekly said Mithun Das and Moumita Das of Assam’s Goalpara were on their way to Kolkata by road when the sudden enforcement of the lockdown caught them wrong-footed. According to the Bengali daily, the couple were going to Kolkata for Mithun’s treatment.
Since the couple neither had money to check into a hotel nor any relatives in the vicinity, they went to Murshidabad’s Beldanga block where Mithun had some business contacts.
The couple has since then found shelter in the house of Farooq Abdullah, the nephew of the local panchayat chief. The Abdullahs live in Mollahpara, a Muslim neighbourhood.
Mithun and Moumita got in touch with the local Block Development Officer (BDO) recently with a plea to let them travel back to Assam, where the couple’s two children are staying with a neighbour. BDO Birupakhyo Mitra promised to facilitate their return, but only after the lockdown is lifted. Mitra also handed over a bag of essentials to Moumita.
Meanwhile, the Abdullahs have told Mithun and Moumita not to worry. “It’s only a month. You can stay with us for a year,” they have told the couple. Overwhelmed by the generosity, Moumita is at a loss for words. “What can I say,” she whispered wiping her tears.
In another heart-warming story, Muslim neighbours ensured final rites of a Hindu woman who died in the city, a report said on April 25. Mandakini Tripathi, 75, who stayed all alone at Usha Kiran building in Khanpur, accidentally fell in her house on April 24 and died within hours. Her neighbours got in touch with her nephew in the United States, who said that two of her distant relatives stayed in the city. They then got in touch with the relatives, and together, helped complete the final rites of the woman, setting an example of inter-community goodwill and bonhomie.
“I got a call from Naseeruddin Ajmeri and Johar Tarwala, who stay in the same building, informing that a senior citizen in their building had collapsed in her house. All the building residents rushed to her house, but she did not survive,” said Sahal Qureshi, one of those who helped in Mandakini’s final rites. They got in touch with her nephew, who stays in the US. “He gave us the numbers of her distant relatives who stay in Ahmedabad,” Qureshi added.
“Muslims of the building and neighbouring buildings themselves went to the crematorium to see through the final rites of Mandakini. None of us could hold back our tears, as her relatives held our hands and thanked us for making arrangements for her final rites,” said Hakeem Yaasir, who was among those who helped organise the final rites of the senior citizen at Dudheshwar crematorium. He added, “This is the true character of India. This proves we are all united.”