In an overwhelming gesture, Hindus have donated land to the Muslim community to build a burial ground in Belrikhan village which falls under the Gosaiganj Assembly constituency in Ayodhya District, Uttar Pradesh.
The unique display of communal harmony which was propelled by the local BJP MLA Indra Pratap Tiwari, also known as Khabbu Tiwari, said, “The tradition of Hindu-Muslim brotherhood here is not new. This was a small token of love from Hindus to Muslims. I hope this amity will continue.”
This piece of land had been the reason for communal disharmony for several years, until one Surya Kumar Jhinkan Maharaj, a local seer, and eight other shareholders, prompted by the BJP MLA, signed the registered deed for 1.25 bighas of land on June 20 to end the dispute forever.
“The land belonged to Hindus as per records. It is by the side of a graveyard and some Muslims have buried their dead on the land. There were disputes and tension. But now, we have settled the matter,” Jhinkan Maharaj was quoted by IANS. “The deed is now in favour of the Qabristan Committee, Gosainganj and it will soon be entered in revenue records,” said Vais Ansari, President of the Qabristan Committee.
The other signatories to the land deed are Ram Prakash Bablu, Ram Singar Pandey, Ram Shabad, Jiya Ram, Subhash Chandra, Rita Devi, Vindhyachal and Awadhesh Pandey.
Sub-registrar SB Singh confirmed the land transfers to the Muslims for the graveyard and said, “It’s a gift from the Hindu community through a proper deed and stamp duty.”
Haji Abdul Haq, the chief Imam of Gosaiganj Jama Masjid, praising the heart-wrenching gesture said, “It is an exemplary act of kindness. It shows the world that we can coexist in peace and harmony,” the Imam said.
Moreover, overwhelmed by the sensitivity shown by Hindu’s, who donated the land to Muslims because it had tombs of their forefathers, some people of the Muslim community said that Muslim should also show equal sensibility and stop politicising and staking a claim on the disputed Ayodhya Rambhoomi site.
