Mandir+Masjid

Ayodhya verdict was on the cards. It was a moment of anticipation for everyone around as people were expecting a clear verdict after nearly 60 years of struggle. It was a dream come true moment for us i.e. IT professionals. We were asked to leave early in the wake of verdict as if the riots break out, they will attack the premises of these great companies where people are already dead in their hearts. Anyways, a break from the routine work is always welcome.

I started early with one of my colleagues. The buses were brimming with crowd from all corners of the city. We reached a spot from where we could auto rickshaws for our respective locations. I sat in the rickshaw after a while of haggling. To my surprise, my autowallah was a follower of a different faith. He was a follower of Ram’s spiritual brother, Muhammad. I started a conversation with him. I enquired about the roads of the city which were wearing a deserted look that day. He said “Arre sahaab Ye sab Mandir masjid ka khela hai ”.

I asked him that who should be held responsible for the whole fiasco. He promptly replied politicians. He said “ Arre sahaab hum mehnat ki roti khaane waale log,kahan in cheezon k baare mein sochenge”. I pondered over this for a while. I came back to my senses and asked him to drive a little faster. He nodded in agreement.

I was enjoying the cool October breeze of Pune city when suddenly noise levels soared high. I could hear slogans in the vicinity. The autowallah informed me that the area we were crossing through was dominated by followers of a different faith. The mob had turned unruly and they were attacking whatever came in their way. I was petrified. But my autowallah reassured me “ Sahaab ek baar agar sawaari hamari gaadi mein baith gayi to manzil tak pahunchana hamari zimmedari hai”. I was growing a bit skeptical about this fellow, but I had no option left with me other than trusting him. I put my trust in him and asked him to take through narrow by lanes. He adopted a shorter path and I reached my home in about half an hour. I thanked him for his noble gesture and cursed myself for my skepticism about him.

I switched on my TV. The same tamasha, hype and hoopla were aired on the screens throughout the country. Faith has percolated deep inside our lives, but its importance comes only after we satisfy our bare minimum necessities i.e. ‘Roti, kapda aur makaan ’.
Both the faith inspired by Ram and that inspired by the Prophet are universal in their common injunction of tolerance and compassion. So let’s take a pledge to live in peace and harmony.