KOLKATA: Setting up an example of brotherhood between two religious communities, Muslim neighbours of a poor Hindu family came forward to provide all help—right from renting a hearse to engaging a group to chant mantras—to cremate the body of an 82-year man in Murrshidabad’s Rejinagar in south Bengal, the state known for its communal harmony.
Kanai Mondal, who had been suffering from an age-old illness, passed away on Wednesday morning and his daily-wage earner family members were sitting helplessly with the body as they did not have money to cremate the deceased.
On hearing about the death of their neighbour, residents of the minority-dominated village, where only four Hindu families reside, did not spare a minute. They started collecting money from the other Muslim residents to bear the expenses for Kanai’s cremation.
Tahidul Islam and Babar Sheikh collected bamboo from their own bamboo groves to make structures to carry the body to the crematorium. Sahidul Islam arranged a vehicle to transport the body.
“The family is so poor that they couldn’t even think of making these arrangements. Mondal was our neighbour. We decided to engage a keertan group to chant mantras as it is a religious practice of the Hindu community when the body of an elderly deceased is being taken to a crematorium,” said Tahidul.
Tahidul, Babar, Sahidul and others lifted the bamboo structure on their shoulders to carry the body to the rented vehicle and to the platform of the crematorium.
“We don’t believe in differences in the religion. We live in the village like each other neighbours who stand by each other during any crisis period. We don’t think we have done anything special as it was our duty to help a neighbour,” said Babar.
Mondal’s niece Alpana Mondal, expressed her gratitude to her neighbours. “My uncle’s family was unable to perform the last rites as they were financially stressed. Had the neighbours not come forward and provided all necessary help, cremating him would not have been possible,” she said.
The homemaker said the Muslim neighbours attend Hindu religious festivals organised by a handful of Hindu households in the village and they also visit the houses of the minority community during religious festivals.
Murshidabad is one of the minority-dominated pockets in the state which never witnessed any communal discord in recent memories.