Malda: Malda: Muslims of an eastern Indian village on April 25 arranged for the cremation of a youth of a poor Hindu family.
Biswajit Rajak of Shekhpura, a Muslim-majority village in the Malda district of West Bengal died the previous night after a prolonged fight with liver cancer.
Biswajit’s family huddled around his body as they had neither the financial means nor manpower to perform the last rights. A few Muslim neighbors came forward and offered help. They observed all rituals, including chanting gods’ names, at the burning ghat in Manikchak block.
They carried the body on a bamboo cot, as is the custom, and walked 8 km in a procession to the ghat chanting “Ram nam satya hai” and “Bolo Hari Hari bol” all the way.
Inspired by the gesture, vice-chairman of the district panchayat Gaur Mondal joined the cortege.
Later, the Muslim pall-bearers said, “Hindus and Muslims are like two sons of the same mother. We have to look after one another. This will set an example before the country.”