Communal harmony on display in Uttar Pradesh amid anti-CAA protests
A display of communal harmony amid the ongoing protests in Uttar Pradesh can turn out to be a relief to the eyes. A similar scene was witnessed in Kanpur city of the state, where some Hindu boys formed a human chain around a Muslim man's 'baraat', so that the same can be safely escorted to its destination.
The family of the groom had initially decided to postpone the wedding of their son, amid the violence and subsequent curfew in the state. However, the groom's neighbour Vimal Chapadiya decided to help the family after coming to know of the problem.
Chapadiya and his friends, Somnath Tiwari and Neeraj Tiwari, got all their friends together and when the 70 'baraatis' of the Muslim groom arrived, the Hindu boys formed a human chain around them and escorted them from the Bakarganj crossing to the wedding venue which was about a kilometer away.
The boys stayed back till the wedding was over and the 'baraat' was again escorted out of the area to safety. Chapadiya, who works as an administrator in a private school, said that he merely did what he felt was right.
"I have seen the bride, Zeenat, grow up. She is like my younger sister. How could I let her heart be broken? We are neighbours and I had to stand with the family in times of distress," he said.
Zeenat, meanwhile, said that Vimal was her brother in the real sense of the term and she would never forget what he had done for her.
In a similar event, a man named Hajji Qadir came to the rescue of a policeman after he was surrounded and beaten by a violent mob during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act last week in Uttar Pradesh's Firozabad district.
Ajay Kumar, a policeman, had sustained injuries on his hand and head after he was beaten by the violent mob during the December 20 protest in the district.
Qadir came to Kumar's rescue, took him to his home and later dropped him to the police station after the situation was brought under control.
"Hajji Qadir Sahab took me to his home. I had sustained injuries on one of my fingers and head. He gave me water and his clothes to wear and assured me that I will be safe. He took me to the police station later," Kumar said.
"He came like an angel in my life. Had it not been for him, I would have been killed," he added.
Recalling the incident, Qadir said that he was reading Namaz when he was told that a policeman had been surrounded by the mob.
"He was severely injured, I assured him that I will save him. I didn't know his name at the time. What I did was for humanity," Qadir said.
Violence had broken out between police personnel and protesters in Firozabad on December 20 during protests against the CAA.
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