Ashfaq Pathan/Kolhapur

Rashid Sayyad lived with his wife, Reshma, and their 10-year-old son, Ramzan, in their family house at Shahu Nagar, Kolhapur, Maharashtra. 

The couple were daily wage workers at a garbage project in Kasba Bawada, while their son goes to school.

From their combined salaries of Rs 18,000, they manage their household expenses and their son’s education, and yet manage to save Rs 2.5 lakh.

The couple has stashed the money in a bag and kept it at their home. On the morning of January 6, their house caught fire due to a short circuit. A cooking gas cylinder exploded inside, adding to the inferno.

The couple helplessly watched their belongings, including their hard-earned savings, go up in flames.

The Sayyad family was devastated.

In such difficult times, Kolhapur displayed humanity. As soon as the news about their loss spread in the area, locals - Hindus and Muslims - rushed to their help. Social organisations provided clothes, food grains, and household items.

Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind provided essential household utensils, ration items and cash to the family. The Jamaat-e-Islami also provided help.

Corporator Satish Powar provided one trolley of sand and 10 bags of cement. Niyaz Akhtar supplied fabrication materials. Vilas Vaskar, Umesh Powar, Avinash Kamble, Taufik Mullani, and Murlidhar Jadhav provided cash assistance.

In view of the ongoing Ramzan and the festival of Eid, everyone resolved that the Sayyad family must celebrate the festival in their own house. And so, Hindus and Muslims joined hands to rebuild the Sayyad family's house.

The rebuilt house of Rashid Sayyad

Rashid Sayyad says, "My house had burnt down, but Kolhapurkars, be it Hindu or Muslim, everyone helped and rebuilt my house. Everyone told me they wanted to come to my house and celebrate Eid. I will never be able to forget this love given by the people."

Speaking about this relief work, social activist Taufik Mullani said, "According to the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, it is our duty to help others. The thought of helping a family in distress came to our minds. We took the initiative so that this family could move into their home during the month of Ramazan."

 

 

 

 

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Local Corporator Satish Powar said, "The Sayyad family runs their household on daily wages. On the day of the tragedy, along with activists, we tried to extinguish the fire. They had suffered heavy losses. During this difficult time, we made an honest effort to provide whatever help was needed."

As soon as they received information about this incident through social media, representatives of 'Jamaat-e-Islami' also came forward to help.

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Kolhapur has proved once again that a crisis does not discriminate based on religion before striking, and help is not given based on religion either.