The Kerala floods have taken many lives and displaced thousands of people from their homes but what they’ve also brought the nation together. The unforgiving monsoons have proved that in the face of adversity, humanity trumps everything, including religious prejudice.
A mosque in the flood-ridden state, Juma Masjid, celebrated an extremely diverse Eid yesterday. The mosque is located in Malappuram, one of the most severely affected districts of Kerala, and it opened its arms and welcomed more than a dozen Hindu victims who have lost their home and belongings.
Image Source- NDTV
A schoolteacher, Abdul Vahab Koduvali, taking refuge in the camp, told a news website, “It is going to be different here this year. Everyone irrespective of our religion will be in the mosque to celebrate Eid. Everyone in the village went out of their way to save people and bring them to relief camps. We may have lost our homes and belongings but we are all going to celebrate Eid to mark our unity in this time of crisis.”
According to The Times of India, the mosque has doubled up as a flood relief shelter and is currently hosting 78 people, out of which 17 are Hindus including women, children, and the elderly.
Smashing religious and caste barriers, the displaced people were given space to sleep inside the place of worship. They were fed with canteen food and were given rice, pulses and other essentials for when they returned home.
Kerala floods: When this mosque in Malappuram became a relief camp for Hindus – Times Now: Times Now Kerala floods: When this mosque in Malappuram became a relief camp for Hindus Times Now Malappuram which is one of the worst-hit… https://t.co/EJlpCvPwI0 https://t.co/GYgfL7KNyw pic.twitter.com/fU5fujNqGT
— Chukkuvellam News (@ChukkuNews) 23 August 2018
Chaliyar village panchayat chief, P T Usman, told PTI, “There were 26 families who had sought refuge in the mosque, a majority of them Hindus. Though we opened the relief camp at the mosque on August 8, the activities started in full swing only after August 14, following a series of landslides that rocked the district.”
The Hindu families returned home after two days as the water receded while the rest returned after taking part in Bakri-Eid.
In a separate incident, two Muslim groups of men cleaned up Hindu shrines in Wayanad and Malappuram districts. Participating in the cleaning drive, these men had no qualms about cleaning a Vishnu temple and one dedicated to Lord Ayyappa.
This is Kerala we are one …..Muslim youths clean Hindu temple … After the flood ….. You can’t to divide us …. pic.twitter.com/8R8fx6GMIY
— Siby (@Siby85270198) 20 August 2018
Even the Bollywood industry has taken it upon themselves to raise awareness about how grave the situation is in Kerala. But one among them has gone way beyond the call of duty to help those in need and that’s Randeep Hooda. He, along with the Khalsa group, went to Kerala have helped and provided shelter to the victims and obviously, the internet is beaming with pride and joy.
A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with freedom! #KeralaFloods2018 #KeralaFloodRelief #Kerala #JammuAndKashmir #Mumbai #humanity #RealHeroes #KhalsaAid #motivation #RandeepHooda @Khalsa_Aid pic.twitter.com/qtw8OknZjj
— Randeep Hooda FC (@Randeep_HoodaFC) 23 August 2018
We honestly can’t stop lauding him for this.
The death toll in Kerala has gone up to 231 people and 32 are still missing since August 8th. Nearly 14.5 lakh people from 3.91 lakh families have taken shelter in 3,879 relief camps around the state.
Let’s all keep the citizens of Kerala in our prayers and donate and do as much as we can for these people who have lost close to everything.
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