Dispelling rumors of communal tension and hatred, the Hindu community of Dadri's Bishada village came together on Sunday to organise a wedding for the daughters of a Muslim family.
The little village, which shot into national spotlight with unbelievable alacrity after a Muslim man was lynched to death by an angry mob over rumors of possessing beef, was seen rife with wedding fervor, quite different from the image that is being portrayed throughout the world.
From arranging food to provide lodging for the relatives and friends of the wedding party, even contributing to the dowry of the brides, the Hindu villagers did not spare any expense and ensured that the event was a merry one.
One of the groom's relative spoke to ANI and expressed his surprise and delight at how the villagers were handling all the arrangements.
"The planning and preparation is unbelievable. Both Hindus and Muslims have come together to celebrate this wedding. Yes, I do admit that there was a hint of worry because of what had happened before, but after coming here and seeing what they have done for us, I have no doubts," he said.
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"The villagers were part of the 'baraat' and we hope they are there for the 'bidai' too. There is no discrimination here. We are extremely happy that such a good care is being taken of us," he added.
And truly, the locals of this village were seen working in unison to ensure a successful wedding. It was hard to imagine that this was the same place being touted as a communal warzone by a few for their vested interests.
Ramesh, one of the Hindu villagers, told ANI he could not believe that Bishada was being portrayed as a violence-hit, communal strife zone as it was far from truth.
"Even before, there were no problems here. What happened with the unfortunate man was like a balloon exploding. It was momentary. There were some misconceptions among the kids and what followed was the result of temporary rage. All the elders here live in harmony and there has always been great cooperation amongst us," he said.
He determinedly added that it was the media and the never ending parade of politicians who had blown the incident out of proportion.
"I am a Hindu Rajput of this village and I give you my word that there is nothing wrong here and neither it has been in the past. All that is happening is being done to create a divide between us, but let me tell you 'we were strong before, and we are stronger after what has happened'," Ramesh added.
Through this wedding, the villagers here have send a strong message to the nation and politicians that Bishada remains strong, united and a haven for both Hindus and Muslims and that there is no divide and hatred of any sort.
