In Kanpur, 50 Hindus Formed Human Chain To Escort Muslim Baraat To Safety Amid Violence

In a show of communal harmony, 50 Hindus formed a human chain around a Muslim Baraat, to safely escort them to the wedding venue in Bakarganj, Kanpur, The Times Of India reported.

On the morning of December 21, the groom, Hasnain Farooquee from Pratapgarh, rung up the bride’s family seeking help, to get his baraat to the curfew-hit area of Uttar Pradesh. Owing to the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in Kanpur’s Bakarganj, police and paramilitary troops had swept the region, sending it to a state of turmoil.

It was then that the bride – Zeenat’s neighbour Vimal Chapadiya stepped in to help the family. Chapadiya, along with his friends Somnath Tiwari and Neeraj Tiwari, got together 50-odd Hindus who formed a human chain around the 70 baraatis who had reached Bakarganj Chauraha in the evening.

The group then escorted the baraatis to the wedding venue, one kilometre away from the spot.

“I have seen Zeenat grow up. She is like my younger sister. How could I let her heart be broken? We are neighbours and I had to stand with the family in times of distress,” Chapadiya was quoted telling the media.

The group ensured the baraatis safety and also stayed back until the bidai(departure of the bride), said Wajid Fazal, the bride’s uncle.

“A wedding scheduled in the area had been cancelled as the groom’s family refused to come, since the situation was so tense. That morning, when my uncle received the call, I had given up all hope that my wedding would take place,” said Zeenat.

“Without Vimal bhaiya’s intervention, the baraat would not have reached here. He came like a farishta (angel) in my life,” she added.

Also Read: [Watch] Hindus, Sikhs Form Human Chain While Muslims Read Namaz During Anti-CAA Protests