Muslim woman from Kanpur translates Ramayana into Urdu

“Hey Raam, tere naam ko har naam pukaare, banda ye tera pal pal teri raah nihaare” these lines aren’t taken from any holy scripture but are the lines from a ghazal composed by Dr. Mahi Talat Siddiqui. A resident of Kanpur city of northern Uttar Pradesh state, Siddiqui has set an example of inter-community accord by writing Ramayan in Urdu even after being a Muslim. Few years ago; Badri Narayan Tiwari, another resident of Kanpur city, gave her a copy of Ramayana. After reading it, Siddiqui decided to write the holy text in Urdu. Putting forth a heart-warming reminder of Awadh region’s Ganga –Jamuni tehzeeb, Siddiqui through her endeavours wanted to highlight the similarities between religions that bind humanity and propagate the teachings of Lord Ram.Siddiqui has put translations of Ramayana in her book “Ram Katha aur Muslim Sahityakar Samagra” so as to help people from two communities get a better understanding of each other’s culture. Siddiqui holds a PhD in Hindi literature and teaches in Halim Muslim Degree College in Kanpur.