Rang & Ramzan: Muslim vendor sells colours during Rangpanchami procession

Indore: Amid tight security deployment for Rang Panchami in Indore, a sight along the procession route offered a glimpse into city's social and communal harmony.Juni Indore zone ACP Vijay Choudhary was on duty near Rajwada on Sunday, monitoring the traditional Rang Panchami celebrations. While moving through the area between Kanch Mandir and Gaura Kund, he noticed a Muslim man wearing a skull cap standing outside his house with a small table setup selling Holi colours.The man, visibly cheerful, had arranged packets of colours on the table and was busy attending customers as the festive crowds moved through the lane.Curious, the officer stopped and spoke with him. With Ramzan month going on and thousands gathering for a festival associated with colours and celebration, Choudhary asked the vendor whether he felt apprehensive about setting up the stall and selling colours in the middle of the festivities.The man responded with a smile and a simple explanation. "Hame kya matlab… hamara kaam hai. Vyapar kar raha hoon ("It doesn't concern me. I am just doing my work — running my business)," he told the officer, making it clear that, for him, it was simply a matter of livelihood."Standing outside his house between two busy landmarks, he continued selling colours as people passed by, unfazed by the crowd or the festive chaos around him," Choudhary said.The ACP later uploaded a status on social media with a caption, ‘Rang and Ramzan'.