The legendary 76-year-old Thakur Baldev Singh carries on the long-standing practice of inviting relatives, neighbors and Muslim acquaintances from the border towns of Akhnoor to an Iftar meal, a tradition started by his grandfather.
Embracing Variety in the Face of Tradition
Thakur hosted a vegetarian Iftar celebration last weekend, inviting 140 people to his house on the banks of the Chenab River, close to the border between India and Pakistan. Among these revelers, perhaps a hundred were Muslim acquaintances and neighbors, some of whom had traveled the 28 km from Jammu City just to be here.
Relics of Intergroup Cooperation
The fact that the meek and humble Thakur Baldev Singh has insisted on keeping this event under wraps speaks much about his character. Born in the wake of Partition and the subsequent integration of Jammu and Kashmir into India amidst tensions with Pakistan, Thakur served in the Indian Navy before shifting to a lucrative career in the Merchant Navy.
When asked about the origins of the Iftar meetings, Thakur told Awaz-The Voice that his father started them more than a hundred years ago. This heritage of communal peace, profoundly established in his family’s ethos, endured through dangerous periods like the Partition when his father, Munshi Singh, maintained the safety and security of Muslims despite communal upheaval in 1947.
Symbol of Diversity with Unity
Despite Akhnoor’s metamorphosis into a largely Hindu area, vestiges of its cosmopolitan history persist. This fusion of cultures is on full display during Thakur’s annual Iftar when Hindu hospitality and the sounds of Azan and Namaz mingle together.
Thakur’s Iftar is not simply a feast but a symbol of togetherness and inclusion, drawing significant personalities like former IAF officer Squadron Leader Anil Sehgal, who highlights the common ideals of communal respect instilled in their childhood.
For a detailed story, please visit: Awaz the voice
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