In an instance that drew attention to everyday expressions of Hindu–Muslim unity, residents of Deoband in western Uttar Pradesh witnessed a Muslim man and his companions taking responsibility for the last rites of a Hindu neighbour who died without close family support.
Ajay Kumar Saini, a 40-year-old mechanic who had been living in a rented house in the Kohla Basti locality for nearly two decades, died on December 27 after a prolonged illness linked to kidney disease, and local residents said that there was no immediate family member present to perform his final rites.
With no one available to undertake the customary responsibilities, Gulfam Ansari, the son of a local corporator, along with several of his companions, stepped in to ensure that the funeral was conducted with dignity.
According to people in the locality, Gulfam and his companions prepared the funeral pyre and carried it in a procession to the Devikund crematorium in Deoband, where the last rites were completed in accordance with Hindu traditions.
Although the group was not familiar with the specific rituals involved, they sought guidance from members of the Hindu community, and the ceremonies were carried out following established customs.
Residents said the assistance did not end with the cremation, as Gulfam and his companions also made arrangements for food for relatives and guests who remained at Ajay’s residence for the customary mourning period of three days.
Locals described the gesture as significant in a town that has often been in the news for communal tensions, noting that such acts of cooperation were part of the area’s lived social reality, even if they rarely received attention.
People familiar with Ajay’s life in the neighbourhood said he had worked as a mechanic for years and was known to many in the area, and they added that the response from Gulfam and his friends reflected a sense of shared responsibility that transcended religious identities.
The incident, which later surfaced in a video circulated on social media, prompted discussion online about inter-community solidarity, while residents maintained that the act itself was motivated by compassion rather than the desire for publicity.