Amid Lockdown, Muslim Men Carry Hindu Woman’s Bier To Cremation In Indore

Amid the nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus, finding essential services like transport even during an emergency is a challenge. Fortunately for a Hindu family in Indore, their Muslim neighbours came to help them in their time of distress.

A Hindu woman’s bier was carried by her Muslim neighbours to a cremation ground, 2.5 km away, in the absence of any vehicle. The men also helped the woman’s sons with her last rites as most of her relatives did not participate in the funeral due to fears of coronavirus, NDTV reported.

Wearing masks, the youths made all the arrangements for the funeral as the woman’s sons arrived home late due to the lockdown. The 65-year-old woman passed on Monday after a prolonged illness.

Former chief minister of Madhya, Pradesh Kamal Nath applauded the gesture of the youths, saying they have set an example in society.

“It is praiseworthy that people from the Muslim community along with the woman’s two sons carried the body on their shoulders for her last rites. This has set an example in society. It reflects our Ganga-Jamuni culture and such scenes enhance mutual love and brotherhood,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.

The Muslim youth told news agency PTI that they considered it as their duty and knew the woman since their childhood.

This is the second such report coming out of Muslims helping their Hindu neighbours in cremating their relatives.

Last week, in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr, a man named Ravishankar passed away. Because of the coronavirus fear and the imposition of the lockdown, none of his relatives came to his last rites.

However, his Muslim neighbours came, lifted his coffin on their shoulders in the funeral procession, setting a beautiful example of communal harmony and brotherhood in this time of crisis.