Last week the violent clashes across the streets of Northeast Delhi rocked the national capital. The violent mob vandalised buildings and painted the walls with blood. This dark clouds of inhumanity marred the capital of world’s largest democracy for 3 days. Aftermath of which left the hapless souls with heavy hearts and sobbing eyes. But as every cloud has a silver lining so there emerged some humanitarian heroes in this despairing time that made us believe that not all heroes wear caps, some just live nextdoor.
On 24th February as Delhi boils by the violent clashes between pro CAA and anti-CAA groups and hate was hovering around the father son duo of Mahindra Singh and Inderjit singh emerged as the saviour of humanity. They carried 60-80 Muslims neighbours to safe location on their bullet motorcycle and Scooty. They sensed that the situation was worsening in their Hindu dominanted neighborhood Gokalpuri, in Northeast Delhi and started to shift their terrified neighbour to nearest Muslim locality of Kardampuri, one kilometre away. For some of the boys they tied Sikh turbans to conceal they were Muslims. Smiling at this reporter’s repeated queries about what motivated him and his son to make so many trips to save his neighbors, Singh said, “You have to understand that this is the belief and culture of our community. You may have heard the expression: nanak naam chardi kala, tere bahne sarbat da bhala. Sarbat da bhala means that we want everyone to prosper. We did this to honour humanity and our 10 gurus whose central message is that we should act for everyone to prosper.”
In similar thread a Hindu man saved lives of six Muslim neighbors when violent mob set their house on fire in Shiv Vihar. Premakant Baghel when saw his Muslim neighbour’s house ablaze he jumped in to help. He ventured to save the lives trapped inside the burning house. He saved the six lives by risking his own and now he is battling for his life in GTB hospital.
A local BJP ward from Yamuna Vihar stepped up to help his Muslim neighbour from the angry mob of around 150 people from ablazig their house.
In Mustafad which is a Muslim dominanted locality in Northeast Delhi several Muslim people came out to shield their Hindu neighbors from the wrath of berserk mob. Many Muslims formed a human chain to protect the local Shiv temple.
On 25 February in the alley of Bhajanpura, Northeast Delhi a blood thirsty mob were chasing a Muslim man Jiyaudin when a man named Sardar Jindal Singh Sidhu along with six others came out to rescue Jiyaudin. Mr Singh soothed the victim and tied his own turban to conceal Jiyaudin’s identity while taking him to Timarpur ( Jiyaudin’s home).
There is another instance of humanity emerged from Bhajanpura where a young man, Komal Sharma was rescued from the hands of mob by Salman Siddiqui. On 24th February a video was circulating of Komal Sharma chanting Jai Shree Ram and rioting across the roads. The video also reached Chand Bagh where he was identified and caught by an angry mob who were ready to throw him in the fire of violence but Salman Siddiqui stepped in and saved his life and took him away from the mob.
On 25th February, in Ashok Nagar many Hindus stepped in to save a mosque. They give shelter to 40 Muslim neighbors in their houses.
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh asked all Gurdwaras in Delhi to open their doors for the victims of violence irrespective of religion and also asked to provide all necessary aids to them.
Amid the inhuman violence these were a few epitomes of humanity which stood out as a ray of hope in the night of hopelessness.
My unprejudiced words 