Santa Khan wishes all, ‘Merry Christmas’

Meerut: “I am Santa Khan. Merry Christmas!” says 10-year-old Mohd Kaif while taking out sweets from his Santa bag. Dressed in a red Santa attire, Kaif along with his 12-year-old Santa friend, Sanawar Khan can be seen welcoming customers at Rafeeq Ahmad’s boutique on Begampul. At a time when a row is raging over conversions in Agra and Aligarh, 38-year-old Ahmad stands out in the crowd.He celebrates Christmas with an equal gusto as he celebrates Id.
“I respect all religions equally. Every religion has good and bad people and the ones talking about conversions are the bad ones. I keep distance from the bad people,” said Ahmad while fixing a bell on the Christmas tree at his boutique.
This is not the first year when Ahmad is celebrating Christmas in the city. “I have been celebrating Christmas for the past 11 years. My wife, daughter and son also join me in the celebration,” said Ahmad.
Asked whether anyone in his friends’ circle had passed any remark against him because he celebrates a festival which is for people from a different faith, Ahmad said, “Yes, many a time, people do pass remarks. But that doesn’t mean my respect for any religion will fade away.
“I maintain distance from all such people who don’t treat all the religions equally,” Ahmad added while putting up balloons in King’s boutique at Begampul.
What’s more, any customer who enters his shop on Christmas will not leave empty-handed because “Santa Khan(s)” have something for everybody. “Not only do we give sweets to anyone who comes to our shop on Christmas, we also give specially made packets full of Christmas treats to them to mark the festive spirit,” said Mohd Kaif.
As far as the conversion row is concerned, Ahmad is not bothered. Righ wing groups are planning “ghar wapsi” (conversion) ceremonies at three villages of Meerut namely Cheena Nagar, Maliana village and Shivpuram. He is determined to celebrate Christmas.
“I even go to church to celebrate Christmas and have been decorating a Christmas tree at in my shop every year for the past 11 years. Conversion or no conversion, God is one and so no Hindu organization can deter my spirit to celebrate Christmas,” said Ahmad.