JOIN USMuslims shift Idgah for temple
Setting an example in communal harmony Muslims at a nondescript village in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda district, about 200 kilometres from here, shifted an 'Idgah' (a ground, where namaz is offered on special occasions) to give place to a Hindu temple.
According to the reports the 'Idgah' at Akbarpur village in the district was adjacent to the 'Brahmasthan' under an old 'peepal' (Ficus Religiosa) tree and the Hindus from the village and nearby areas had been performing religious rituals there for a long time.
With the passage of time, however, the branches of the old tree had expanded and threatened the walls of the 'Idgah'. The locals said that the branches were not cut as it could have caused communal tension.
Members of the two communities, however, decided to discuss the matter so that communal amity remained intact. On Sunday a meeting was held in which senior members of the communities discussed it.
The Muslims offered to shift the 'Idgah' a few metres away so that the branches would not have had to be chopped. The Hindus readily accepted their proposal.
The Muslims have also decided to get a 'pucca' (cemented) platform constructed around the tree. They also offered to construct the road that led to the place of worship, reports said.
The two communities held a 'Pyar Baton' (share love) program at the village to show that any dispute, howsoever complicated it may be, could be resolved through peaceful ways.
The chief of the Idgah Committee Razik Usmani said that members of both the communities expressed their happiness over the decision and pledged to keep communal harmony intact.
The sacrifice of the Muslim community for their Hindu brethren certainly serves as an example in the state, which has witnessed several communal riots in the past four years.