Research Work April 2018

Research Work April 2018 Nathowal: Peace Building Module of three religions-Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism. The Great Divide Religious violence in our country, even before the partition of the British India has generally involved Hindus and Muslims, although the incidents of this religious violence turned into mass slaughter during the partition. The partition involved the division of three provinces, Assam, Bengal and the Punjab based on district-wide Hindu or Muslim majorities. Communities that had coexisted for almost a millennium attacked each other in a terrifying outbreak of violence, with Hindus and Sikhs on one side and Muslims on the other. More than a million died during the riots all over the nation and if murdering each other wasn’t cruel enough, forced conversions, mass abductions, and savage sexual violence also took place. Around 75,000 women were raped and some were disfigured or dismembered during that period. Families slaughtered and separated displacing over 14 million people along the religious lines. The violent nature of the partition created an atmosphere of hostility and suspicion between India and Pakistan that plagues their relationship to the present. Hope for a Better Future In a time when the whole country is under attack by various anti-peace bodies, there is a small village in the city of Ludhiana called Nathowal where all the three communities (Hindu, Muslim and Sikh) are living together in harmony. In 1947, during the Partition of India, around 10 to 12 Muslim families of this village migrated to Pakistan while 50 families stayed back. The mosque was build at this time (1947). However, approximately 10 years from now, the mosque required urgent repair work. The repairing expense of the mosque was estimated to be around 2.5 million rupees. Since the people of the Muslim community in Nathowal could only manage to save upto 1 million, the Sikh and Hindu people of the village came to their aid and took care of more than 65% of the repair expense donating around 1.5 million. This tiny village of Nathowal is sending a much-needed message of communal harmony in a war stricken country like India where three communities live in peace. Muslims and Hindus contribute to gurudwara work and celebrate all the festivals like diwali ,dusshera ,eid and gurupurab together. Why Nathowal? The initiative was taken up by the people of Nathowal , Ludhiana in order to spread the message of communal harmony. Since that time, it is now a tradition in nathowal to celebrate every festival. Even the practical application of this message of communal harmony is deeply reflected through their daily activities. History The village was founded in around 1706 by Baba Jassa, a Buttar jatt from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan Nathowal known for sending the larger number of young recruits to the armed forces. An unflinching loyalty to the armed forces is common to the residents of Nathowal, a sentiment that has earned it the title of ‘Faujian da Pind’ (Village of Soldiers/Army men) and the village was also called Land of Martyrs as many of the freedom fighters and soldiers belongs to this village. The mosque is situated in Nathowal about 12 km from Raikot, 54 km from Ludhiana and 151 km from the capital city of Chandigarh. The lines drawn between Hindus and Muslims since the lynching of Mohammed Akhlaq in Dadri get blurred in nathowal. Everyone in Nathowal village knows that temperatures have reached boiling point over beef eating across the country. But that has not stopped Sikh and Hindu community members from helping Muslims repair an old mosque and even have a second storey constructed. In the current troubled times of violence against Muslims over gau raksha, a village in Punjab presents a shining example of how memb ers of the minority community tend to stray cows to keep alive a tradition that has continued from the pre-Partition days.Nathowal village near Ludhiana has seen generations of Muslims look after cows, considered holy by Hindus.The 50- odd Muslim families in the village, with a population of around 500, have formed a Muslim Intzamia committee to look after stray cows. The committee is responsible for feeding the cows and providing medical aid. How is Nathowal a model of the GPF approach to peace building? Nathowal is a classic example of how different religious communities come together to uplift and assist each other. The Sikhs and Hindus offered financial aid to the Muslims who in turn helped them in repair work and looked after the stray cows. The three religions respect each other’s beliefs and not only live in communal harmony but also serve as a role model to the entire nation which is afflicted by a series of conflicts which are believed to be born through religious differences. Nathowal is a model for peace and interfaith harmony. By- Mayank Yadav, Bharati vidyapeeth’s college of engineering Reference: 1. https://www.thebetterindia.com/37927/communal-harmony-in-india/ 2. https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/hindus-and-sikhs-help-repair-and-rebuild-an-old- mosque-in-punjab-246010.html 3. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Non-Muslims-help-repair-Punjab- mosque/articleshow/49266111.cms .

Load more