It was a heartening sight when Muslim neighbours gave shoulder to the bier of a Hindu man who died on Sunday Morning in the Bhatta Basti area of Jaipur. The deceased Rajendra Bagri, a resident of Bajrang Nagar in Bhatta Basti. The area falls under those parts of Jaipur which are currently under curfew due to CoVID19 epidemic.
The area is Muslim dominated and Rajendra’s is the only Hindu family living there. There were no family members or relatives who lived close by. Rajendra had been suffering from cancer for quite some time and died on Monday. He left behind a family comprising a wife and two children who did not even have the money for the funeral.
The neighbours collected contributions to make all necessary arrangements. The Muslim neighbours then chanting ‘Ram naam satya hai’ carried the bier to the main road from where a vehicle took to them to Chandpole funeral ground. Due to lockdown only eight persons were permitted to go for the funeral which they performed as per Hindu rites and rituals.
“It was our duty as a human and as a neighbour. The bonds that join all of us are very strong and this should prove to be befitting reply to all those people who are trying to create a communal divide even in the present difficult times,” said Pappu Qureshi, a neighbour who helped organise the funeral.