Muslim neighbours perform Hindu man’s last rites in Hapur

MEERUT: In a heartening example of communal harmony, men from the Muslim community in a village in Hapur carried the funeral bier of their Hindu neighbour to the crematorium and helped perform his last rites according to Hindu traditions on Wednesday. The incident has been widely appreciated on social media.Arjun Kumar (48), a daily-wage labourer from Mohalla Kotla Sadat, died after being hit by a train near the local railway track on Monday. As soon as news of his death spread, Muslim neighbours gathered at his home to support the grieving family. Seeing their difficult circumstances, they decided to take responsibility for the funeral arrangements. They informed the police, collected voluntary contributions, and bought a shroud, firewood and other items needed for the rituals. The next morning, they ensured that Arjun was given a dignified farewell as per Hindu customs. People from both communities attended the funeral."Arjun was our neighbour. In times like this, religion does not matter — humanity does. Our faith teaches us to respect every human being. We only did what was right," said Abdul Gaffar, a resident.Another villager, Naseem Ahmed, said the community would also arrange food for the family and relatives for the next three days. "This is the true spirit of brotherhood in our village. We stand together in happiness and in grief," he said.ASP Vineet Bhatnagar said, "It was encouraging to see such unity and compassion across communities. We are in touch with the family and will help them access financial assistance under govt schemes."