Hindu sisters donate land to Eidgah in Uttarakhand's Kashipur

Two Hindu sisters, Anita (62, lives in Delhi) and Saroj (57, lives in Meerut), donated 2.1 acres of land (worth Rs. 1.2 crores) to an Eidgah in Kashipur, Uttarakhand, a few days before Eid, fulfilling the last wish of their father, Lala Brajnandan Rastogi, a farmer who died in 2003.

The Times of India reported that years after Rastogi’s death, some relatives mentioned to the two sisters how their father had wanted to donate his land for his “Muslim brethren”.

Two days before Eid, Anita and Saroj completed all the formalities on Sunday to transfer their land to the Eidgah. TOI reported that they sought help from their brother Rakesh, who still lives in Kashipur.

Rakesh was quoted by TOI as saying, “My father was a strong believer in communal harmony. He wished to donate the land to the Eidgah so that it could accommodate more people for namaz on festivals such as Eid. My sisters honoured his wish.”

Haseen Khan, President of Kashipur’s Eidgah committee, said, “When he was alive, the committee would always take the first donation from him on all important occasions. Not only did he always give money generously, but he also offered fruits and sweets to Muslim devotees. After his death, his son took after Lala and is now the first one to donate for such events. Lala and my father Mohammad Raza Khan were close friends for about 50 years. The two are no more but their belief in brotherhood has taught us a lot.”

Not just Khan, but Muslims all over Kashipur revered Rastogi and sought blessings for him on Eid. Khan added that there is a sentiment of communal harmony and brotherhood all over the town, with each religion practicing tolerance towards the other.

TOI quoted a local counselor, Naushad Hussain, as saying, “Lala Brajnandan and his family's act was discussed in all the Muslim households in the vicinity. In the communally charged environment we live in now, we salute such generosity and true secularism. With such people amongst us, the country will never come to harm.”