In a recent incidence of Hindu-Muslim unity and brotherhood in Assam, a Muslim man drove his Hindu neighbor and his pregnant wife to the hospital amid the curfew and communal tension to ensure the safe delivery of a baby in the nick of the time.
The incident took place on Sunday but came to light on Wednesday after the Hailakandi district officials got to know about it and paid a visit to the parents of the newborn.
The man, Rubon Das was worried as his wife Nandita was in labor pain, there was a curfew enforced outside and there was no ambulance or other services around to take his wife to the hospital that was several kilometers away.
The man’s frantic calls to his near and dear ones seeking help all went in vain, just when his neighbor and friend Maqbool Hussain Laskar heard about his wife and helped his friend’s wife to the hospital.
Maqbool put his life at stake with a curfew in force and took out his auto and drove them to the hospital.
He told the national daily, “Rubon is my fellow villager and his wife was in pain since morning so despite the curfew I decided to risk taking my autorickshaw. We stared at 5 pm. It takes about 20 minutes to reach the hospital from the village. The delivery happened within 10 minutes.”
Maqbool helps well on time helped Nandita to deliver a normal healthy baby on the same day. The parents kept the name of the baby Shanti (Peace) as he was born amid curfew with the hope that there will be peace.
Appreciating Maqbool’s help, Bhaskar Das, administrator, SK Roy Civil Hospital, said the incident is a classic instance of Hindu-Muslim unity and brotherhood.
The situation in Hailakandi district escalated where one person was injured by a bullet, several cars were burned down and shops were vandalized after clashes.
