Erasing the divide: Sikh family donates their land to build a mosque in Punjab's Malerkotla

Sukhjinder Singh Noni, a former Sarpanch of Umarpura village and his brother Avninder Singh gave away their land for the construction of a mosque. The land measures around 5.5 biswas.

A Sikh family hailing from Punjab’s Malerkotla district gave their land to the village’s Muslim community for constructing a mosque.

According to a report by Indian Express, Sukhjinder Singh Noni, a former Sarpanch of Umarpura village and his brother Avninder Singh gave away their land for the construction of a mosque. The land measures around 5.5 biswa.

After the Partition of India, Malerkotla district was the only place in Punjab which had a significant Muslim population. Prior to the events of 1947, the district was a princely state ruled by a Nawab.

When India and Pakistan were divided and communal violence erupted through the streets, the Sikhs of Malerkotla protected the Muslims.

The story goes that in 1704, the Nawab of Malerkotla had protested against the Nawab of Sirhind for bricking alive two sons of  Guru Gobind Singh.

This protest earned him good favour among the Sikhs and thus they returned this kindness in 1947 by protecting the Muslims.

Sukhjinder Singh told Indian Express that Muslims lacked a place of worship in the town and their family had promised to provide a land for the mosque.

“We have around 30 per cent Muslim population in our village, and they had to travel to other villages to pray. My family had promised the Muslim community here that they would have a mosque, so my brother and I donated this land,” he said, adding that the land is valued at around Rs 7–8 lakh, Singh told the daily.

Mohammad Usman Rehman Ludhianvi, Punjab’s Shahi Imam laid the first bricks on January 12.

Other villagers have also contributed to the construction of the mosque. Tejwant Singh donated Rs 2 lakh, and Ravinder Singh Grewal gave Rs 1 lakh.