We live in a vast country with diverse cultures and it is the feeling of unity and brotherhood that binds us together and enables us to live in harmony with each other. There are numerous instances of people assimilating the cultures and traditions of their neighbours who belong to different castes and religions.

While I grew up in  Hindu family, I remember my father buying a plum cake for Christmas and making biryani on Ramzan Eid. Every occasion was an excuse for celebration and we revelled in the festivities of our neighbours as well.

In present times, often we have felt that our unity is threatened, but then we also hear heartwarming stories of our countrymen who go beyond the differences of race and religion to help each other and reaffirm our faith in our unity.

One such story is that of Ilyaz Shaikh from Mumbai who was very earnestly taking his pregnant wife Noor Jahan in a taxi to a hospital. The traffic was moving very slowly and they were stuck in narrow roads when a panic-stricken Shaikh realized that his wife was going into labour. To the couple’s utter shock and dismay, the cab driver said that he didn’t want her to deliver in his cab and dropped them at a nearby temple.

A group of women who had come to offer prayers at the temple noticed Noor Jahan,s plight and immediately swung into action. They built a makeshift delivery room in the temple with the available bedsheets and sarees and helped Noor Jahan to deliver a healthy baby boy.

The couple was very relieved and couldn’t contain their joy. As a mark of gratitude, Noor Jahan and Shaikh named their son Ganesh.

Thus, when politics of hatred has tried to divide our society and nation, there are many instances of ordinary people who have stepped up to keep the faith.

Image Source: Muslim Mirror