MP: Muslims cremate Hindu neighbour during COVID-19 lockdown

Bhopal, Apr 16 () The COVID-19 curfew broke downreligious barriers in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal city, afterMuslims helped perform the last rites of their Hinduneighbour, whose relatives were unable to make it to thefuneral.

In a display of harmony during this unprecedentedcrisis, Muslim residents of Teela Jamalpura locality in theold city, carried the body of their 50-year-old neighbour, whosuccumbed to a liver ailment on Wednesday.

"The woman died while undergoing treatment for a liverailment in the early hours of Wednesday. And since none of herclose relatives were around because of the lockdown, we tookher body to the cremation ground at Chhola Vishraghat," ShahidKhan, who made all the funeral arrangements, told .

The deceased woman's husband Mohan Namdeo is asmall-time vendor and the couple has two sons, he said.

"The family is poor and the woman was ailing for along time and died at government-run Hamidia Hospital," hesaid.

People were mindful that only 20 persons couldparticipate in the funeral as per lockdown norms, or else theentire community would have shown up for the last rites, hesaid.

Videos of Muslim men, wearing masks and skull caps,carrying the woman's body on their shoulders to the cremationground, were shared on social media.

A similar initiative was taken by Muslim men inIndore earlier this month.

Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath praised members ofthe Muslim community, saying such acts of humanity strengthencommunal harmony, love and brotherhood. ADU MASARU ARU