New Delhi

Deepak Kumar, a 42-year-old gymnasium owner of Uttarakhand, has emerged as a hero across the country for choosing humanity over religion by standing up to a mob that was harassing a 70-year-old shopkeeper in the Kotdwar town a few days ago.

While people are visiting and honouring him, respect for Deepak went many notches up after he refused to accept a reward of Rs 2 lakh announced by a Jharkhand Minister for him.

He first chose humanity over religion, and now he opted to remain a non-affiliated citizen not ready to allow his kindness towards a fellow human being be weaponised for political purposes.

Though, he said “Rs 2 lakh was a big amount, the minister should give it to someone in need."

The incident of a mob harrassing a Muslim shopkeeper who was rescued by Deepak, has created an impression through social media that Uttarakhand is seething with anti-Muslim wave. However basing one opinion on just one or two incidents which go viral on social media is unfair as the same is also full of heartwarming videos which present a picture of serenity and harmony.

Here is a medley of such videos:

"Salman is a good and hardworking young man."

In a video, a man named Anoop Katwan is introducing Salman, a young man doing business on the streets of Dehradun, to general public. In the video posted online, Katwan says, 'Look! A hard-working young man named Salman is running a business. This is his entire business, and his rates are very reasonable. They make helmets and goggles and provide good helmets for bikers."

Salman runs a roadside business of selling assorted things including stuffed toys.

Katwan jokingly says that Salman is a miser, since though he sells sunglasses he never wears one." At this both share a laugh.

He asks people to buy from Salman since his rates are reasonable and he is a hard working persons. he also give Salman's location in the video which is clearly aimed to getting him more clients.

Ashraf's struggle

Another video is from Narain Singh Bishat in which he is sen with a Muslim man on a bicycle. He identified the man as Ashraf who earns his living by buying and selling scrap.

Bish says while Ashraf is a hardworking man and has followed the rules by getting a verification certificate from police some goons are threatening him by asking him if he has permission to move around.

Bisht shows copies of the police verification and Ashraf's Aadhar card and ask public not to harrass him. Ashraf says he always keeps a copy of the police papers and Aadhar with him while original of the verification certificate is with the Police station.

Therefore, Ashraf should not be disturbed without any reason. These are poor but hard-working people who are honestly raising their children and want to live their lives peacefully.

A video of Hayat Kundari in an Uttarakhand village, in which he is with a scrap collecter, has gone viral on social media.

He introduces the scooter borne Muslim man as Ahsan Bhai Sahab, who is from Roorkee had has been working in the Ghansali village thirty years. In thirty years there is hardly any village where he has not visited. 

Hayat Kundari says that Indians have the right to earn livelihood anywhere but people accept outsiders only when they are honest and clean in their dealings.

Ahsan says he has never face discrimination while doing his work.

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He says some people come from outside and mess up the situation with small things. Pointing to Ahsan, he says, "This brother has been earning his living by being a good and truthful person for thirty years. They are residents of Uttarakhand and are running their household with hard work.."

Interesingly a woman walking on the road as the video is being filmed also comments that Ahsan is a good person and everyone in the village knows him.