Rizwanur's death: A tragic Hindu-Muslim love story in Kolkata

Priyanka, a millionaire's daughter, and Rizwanur Rahman fell in love and got married.

From her palatial house in Salt Lake, she came to the humble two-room house in a lower middle class to live with his family but their happiness barely lasted a month.

The police started harassing him. Rizwan was warned to let his wife go back to her house.

He was rounded up, kept in detention and later his body was found on the railway tracks. And this hasn't happened in Ahmedabad or Meerut, but in the City of Tagore.

Two adults who love each other and want to live together can't be separated but here they were not only in love but also married. Still, the police not only played 'moral guardians' to separate the mismatch marriage: Rich-Poor & Hindu-Muslim wedlock.

Several top officials of Kolkata police allegedly colluded to try to separate them and put pressure on Rizwan even as he was seeking legal support and the help of human rights groups. West Bengal, especially Calcutta, is known to have an enlightened society compared to other Indian cities and it is a place where ordinary people and the middle-class does react.

There is outrage in Kolkata. Social organisations and citizens have taken up the issue. Inquiries have been ordered but that's just a way to divert attention. Stern action must be taken against the police officers who harassed Rizwanul and Priyanka, the daughter of Ashok Todi who is Chairman of Lux hosiery.

The State and police have no business to interfere in the lives of people and stop people in love from marrying. We have enough of such killings in this country and it's time for us to raise our voice strongly at all forums to ensure that lovebirds don't have to fear for their lives in this country.

Going by WB Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya's statement that guilty policemen would not be spared and his admission that the case has many angles including money power, communal and social issues.

Rizwan, the 30-year-old graphic designer is no more. He has lost his life for love and at least we can hope that justice would be done. [Photo: Rizwan and Priyanka]

A Hindu-Muslim love story from Kerala: Kanchana and Moideen [Communal Harmony Project-4]

Just a representative photograph about inter-religious love

Kanchana, 67, couldn't marry Moideen, her childhood friend because of their different religions, and didn't meet him for years due to family restrictions.

After his death in an accident, she decided to remain single all her life and lived his dreams in the form of his social work which she has taken ahead.

"I went through hell living on hope for the first 25 years after they found out about us, because of him. I will still go through anything for him, again", says Kanchana. This amazing love story is reported by Rajeev Pi from Kerala.

Moideen and Kanchana studied in same school in their town in Kozhikode and fell in love in their youth. But their well-to-do yet ultra-conservative families couldn't allow them to marry. Kanchana couldn't marry for sake of her younger sister as her own marriage with a Muslim would have sealed marriage prospects of her younger sister.

She was confined to her house. Moiuddin turned to writing stories apart from social work. They exchanged just a few notes in over a decade. Then Moiuddin died when a boat overturned in Iruvanji river. She also tried to commit suicide.

But one day Moiuddin's mother came to her house and gave her everything which her son possessed including his library. She found her scribbling sent to him, safely tucked between pages. Mohiudeen's mother died soon after.

Kanchana now heads a shelter for homeless, a family counselling centre, a blood donor's network linking villages, a good library and lot more with funds coming from villagers for the BP Moideen Sewa Mandir. This amazing story can be read here.

[Harmony exists all around us but is often ignored. Instead, stories of hate, discord and communalism get spread easily.

There are a million examples in our daily lives across India but they don't get promoted, hence, news of hate and discord gets heard more. Let's change it, now. This is a small attempt to change it through Communal Harmony Project]

For reading similar reports on this blog, Click the link HERE and also find out more about Communal Harmony Project

#communalharmony #communalharmonyproject #india

The love story of an elderly Muslim couple: 90-year-old woman proposed to 105 year old man

It is immensely inspiring story for everybody. A 105-year-old Bagh Husain [whose age is certified] marries a 90-year-old woman. It was the woman who had proposed to him.

It was in 1942 that Bagh Husain, already twice married and having children, had proposed Shajra Bi of Poonch, Kashmir, but her family refused.

یہ مسلمان اتنا عشق کیوں کرتے ہیں

Heart-broken he joined army and as a soldier in Jat Regiment fought in Libya, Myanmar and many other countries. Shajra got married to a person. Meanwhile, Husain's wives either died or left him. Recently Shajra's husband died and after the period of 'iddat' she approached Husain with the proposal to which he readily agreed.

Angry at the marriage of the elderly granny, her family lodged a case with police against Husain of abducting her. But police intervened and the marriage took place. Urdu papers published the story and the Indian Express printed it as anchor story on page 1 [Jan 3, 2006].

The cute picture of the elderly couple can inspire the most depressed person. The smiles and blush on their faces are amazing. The zeal for life and love at the age of 90 and 105, Imagine!

I am sure nothing less than an ageless story like of Fermina Daza only if it gets a Marquez like man to pen it down. See the photo and stop getting any depression whatsoever. I remember what a friend of mine once said in a group where I was the lone Muslim among them.

She said that the greatest lovers have always been Muslims, they love like none else see Laila Majnu, Sheerin Farhad, Sohni Mahiwal, Azra Wamiq and innumerable others. They don't care about other things but for love.

One wishes it was the same impression across the world even today. Let's pray for that. Amen.