– M Rafi Ahmed
All eyes were at the communal harmony wedding event held in Coimbatore yesterday wherein six underprivileged Muslim couples got into wedlock at a private mahal in Podanur neighbourhood. Interestingly, three religious spiritual heads drawn from Hinduism, Christianity and Islam solemnised the marriage in the presence of the newly appointed Coimbatore District Town Kazi Alhaj Moulana Moulavi M A Abdul Rahim Imdhadi Baqavi.
All credit goes to Coimbatore District All Sunnat Jamaat Federation led by its general secretary Haji M A Inayathullah under the aegis of Fort Public Welfare Association. The motto of Coimbatore Divyodaya Inter-Religious Centre – Bonds are stronger than the barriers that separate us – holds good in the context of this communal harmony marriage event which has sent a strong message of ‘Unity in Diversity’. Many eyeballs were raised when spiritual heads drawn from different faiths who took the centre stage to perform the wedding with families from both the brides’ and grooms’ sides were present in large numbers.
Coimbatore has set an example for others to emulate as far as organising such communal harmony events involving people from different faiths. Over 2500 guests were entertained with Biryani at the special wedding. Thanks to the munificence of the philanthropists who had contributed their mite to the conduct of this offbeat marriage ceremony. The wedding couples were presented with 16-gram gold besides ‘Seer Varisai’ (gifts like almirah, cot, utensils, mattress, bedspread and what not). The newlyweds from the lower strata of the society expressed their gratitude to the organisers for the timely gesture.
The Fort Public Welfare Association executives Mubarak Ali, Shabbir Ali, Safir Ali had conceived the idea of organising the communal harmony marriage event. DMK district deputy secretary Kottai Abbas, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) secretary Abdul Hakkim, AIADMK’s Kottai Hakkim besides executives from various jamaats took part at the event and greeted the newly wedded couples.
As per the saying of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ – “Marriage is part of my sunnah, and whoever does not follow my sunnah has nothing to do with me. Get married, for I am heartened by your great numbers before the nations (of other Prophets).” The Fort Public Welfare Association took strenuous efforts to conduct the Nikah of the couples from poor family ground strictly adhering to the messenger’s words of wisdom and practice.
There have been many occasions where mass marriages with couples from different faiths were held in Coimbatore, Nilgiris and the neighbouring God’s Own Country as to the quote of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel – “Togetherness leads harmony, harmony leads to peace”, whose birth anniversary is celebrated as ‘Rashtriya Ekta Diwas’ (National Unity Day) every year. This communal harmony wedding brings to the fore Iron Man of India’s views on harmonious living shedding caste, creed and colour.
