Hindu residents and Sikhs in Gurgaon, a city on the outskirts of India’s capital New Delhi, offered Muslims space for Friday prayers after far-right Hindu groups blocked the community from using public grounds for worship.
Altaf Ahmad, 45, a resident of Gurgaon was shocked when members of right-wing Hindu outfit Bharat Mata Vahini (BMV) came to disrupt Friday prayers at a designated space offered by the city’s administration.
“Namaz (prayer) is one of the pillars of our religion, and congregational prayers are important for us and our identity as Muslims,” said Altaf, who is also the co-founder of Gurgaon Nagrik Ekta Manch (Gurgaon Citizens’ Unity Forum).
His statement sheds light on the plight of Muslims living in Gurgaon, where groups like BMV and Sanyukta Hindu Sangarsh Samiti (SHSS) have been demanding the city administration stop them from praying in public spaces.
As protests intensified, the administration revoked permission for eight out of the 37 sites, which were originally approved.
Amidst the ongoing controversy, Hindu and Sikh support has begun to pour in for the Muslim community, with many offering their private spaces for worship.
They include those like Akshay Yadav, a local resident opening up his shop, to a senior journalist Rahul Dev offering his house, and the Sikh community coming out and offering private places under their jurisdiction.
Yadav, who owns an automobile shop, had reached out to the community earlier, too.
For Ahmad, the steps taken by Yadav or even the Sikh community are commendable and should be lauded. He believes that these people took a stand against oppression which is never easy, especially keeping in mind the tumultuous period.
The city has a population of approximately 1.5 million people out of which 4.6 percent are Muslims (72,480).
(TRT World)
