LUCKNOW: At a time when communal tensions are rife in Uttar Pradesh, a Muslim man transcended religious boundaries through a novel initiative and cemented his friendship with the Hindus of his village further. He got two sets of wedding invitations printed for his daughter’s wedding. The card for his Muslim friends was a traditional Islamic one, while the invite for his Hindu friends had the image of the deities Ram and Sita exchanging wedding vows.
“It was a small gesture to express my respect for the sentiments of my Hindu brethren and their religion,” said Mohammad Salim, of Sultanpur district in Central UP.
A resident of Baghsarai Village, Salim married his daughter Jahana Bano to Yusuf Mohammad, in a typical Muslim wedding, save for the unusual wedding card.
Asked if the groom’s family had any objection to the pictures of Hindu deities on the wedding card, Salim’s brother said, “Absolutely not. They also appreciated the gesture and were in agreement with us on this.”
“It was a small step but a giant leap towards communal amity and harmony between the two communities in a village where both Hindus and Muslim have been living affably for ages,” says Shyam Charan Tiwari of the same village who had attended the wedding.
Drawing attention to the prevailing divide on religious and caste lines, Salim said, “In such a scenario, if this gesture could bridge the gap between the two communities, I will repeat it in future for sure.”
Salim got 350 cards printed for his Hindu friends who were pleasantly surprised on seeing it, and 400 cards for his friends and relatives in a traditional Muslim fashion.