Sikhs and Hindus Host Iftar for Muslims

Jagraon: Iftar during Ramzan has always been special for members of the Muslim community at two villages in Jagraon as Sikh and Hindu villagers are the ones who get them eatables during these days to break the fast.
Members of these communities at Galib Ransingh and Nathowal villages say they don’t do anything special, but just try to live up to the spirit of Punjabiyat. “Since my childhood, I have seen Sikhs and Hindus in the village getting eatables for Muslim brothers for Iftar. In fact many of us have been joining the Muslim brothers for breaking the fast during Ramzan. Our Sikh and Hindu brothers bring fruits like bananas, mangoes, water melon and pakoras, samosas and sherbet. We feel proud of our values which give equal importance to every human being irrespective of their religion,” said Navjot Singh of Galib Ransingh village, who is into vehicle business and has many Muslim friends. He said Muslims also participate in festivals of other communities with equal warmth and vigour. “Out of 40 to 50 persons who attend Iftar at Hazrat Abu Bakkar Masjid, around 20 are from Sikh community and 10 are Hindus. Not only they bring fruits, pakoras for the Iftar, they also have those with us. I have been seeing this happening since I was a kid and I really feel proud of it,” said Muhammad Rafi, who owns a marriage palace. Similar is the case in Nathowal village, around 30 kms from this village, where Sikhs and Hindus had come forward for repair and renovation of mosque some years back. Nathowal has a population of 5,000 of which around 350 people belong to Muslim community, 50 are Hindus while the rest are Sikhs.
(timesofindia.indiatimes.com)