Muslim youths perform last rites of Hindu woman in Chamarajanagar

CHAMARAJANAGAR: Amid debates over Hindu-Muslim unity, a group of Muslim youths spread a message of communal harmony by performing the last rites of a Hindu woman at Ahmed Nagar locality in the town.

Nanjamma, a resident of Ahmed Nagar, had died due to age-related illness. She had got into an inter-caste marriage and the couple had started living separately in a rented house, as their parents did not allow them to stay with them. Nanjamma’s husband died a few years ago and from then on, she was living in the rented house with her daughter.

Nanjamma’s family, her daughter and granddaughter Padma.

When she died, none of Nanjamma’s relatives, except her granddaughter and her husband, came forward to participate in the last rites. Hence, the Muslim youths of the locality made arrangements for the last rites, carried the elderly woman’s bier on their shoulders to the cremation ground and cremated her body as per Hindu customs.

Padma said that if it were not for the the Muslim youths, they would have been unable to perform her grandmother’s final rites.

The granddaughter Padma said, “Some relatives came to see her after her death, but no one waited till the last rites were performed. Some Muslim youths helped us cremate the body, and without them, we would not have been able to perform the rituals. The youths had helped my grandmother earlier too, and I thank them for it”.

Israr Pasha says all are human beings first, and all religions are equal.

Israr Pasha, a resident of Ahamed Nagar said, “Nanjamma belonged to the Kuruba community. None of her relatives come forward to conduct the last rites except her granddaughter and her husband. Some people came to the burial ground after we had reached there with the body. We felt bad that no one was ready to carry the bier. Hence, we were performed the last rites in accordance with Hindu customs”.