Muslim neighbours joined hands to cremate the body of an elderly Hindu man in the Kutirampur area under the Bhagawangola police station in Murshidabad.
Shyamapada Mondal, a resident of the village, passed away due to a heart attack on Saturday morning. Upon receiving the news, Muslim neighbours stepped forward to take care of the cremation arrangements, collecting donations for the purpose.
The deceased’s family faced financial difficulties, preventing him from receiving proper treatment for a prolonged physical illness. When the villagers learned of his death in the morning and with no relatives in the Kutirampur area, a group of Muslims from the village volunteered to handle the funeral responsibilities. Villagers Aram Kha, Anirul Sheikh, Sakir Ali, and Kalam Sheikh coordinated and completed the cremation.
Rebati Mondal, the daughter of the deceased, expressed her concerns about the cremation costs.
She said, “I was worried about the cost of cremation. In this situation, the Muslims of the village came forward, taking care of all the responsibilities. Aram, Sakir, and Anirul went from house to house in the area, collecting donations. The Muslims in the village always support us and stand beside us. They come forward in times of danger. Without them, my father’s funeral would not have been complete today.”
Muslims from the village cut bamboo from bamboo bushes to create a cot for carrying the deceased’s body. Both Hindu and Muslim community members together took the body to the cremation ground.
“The family was unable to cremate the body, so we came forward for the funeral. We arranged for the last rites by collecting donations from house to house in the village. There is no difference between us; Hindus and Muslims are all brothers in this village,” a local, Sakir Ali said.
Meanwhile, the Muslims in the village have also undertaken all responsibilities for the Shradh ceremony, stating that they will perform the Shradh ceremony for Shyamapada Mandal by collecting donations.
Another villager, Bidhan Chandra Das, said, “Hindus and Muslims have come forward to perform the last rites. We all live together in the village, so after the death of a Hindu brother, people from both communities have stepped forward to perform the last rites.”
