Zia-ul Hasan, a convict lodged in the Fatehpur jail, has offered his earnings of a month for Ayodhya’s Ram temple.
Hasan, who earns Rs 1,075 by sweeping the jail, requested the jailer to send his salary to the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The cheque dated January 17 was received by the Trust on Wednesday.
With the cheque is a letter addressed to the jail superintendent that reads, “Of my own will I wish to donate the salary earned from my mazdoori (manual labour) to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. You are requested to make a cheque in the name of the Trust’.
Though the Trust had no further details on Hasan, VHP spokesperson Sharad Sharma said that the cheque was an example of communal harmony.
“Our Muslim brother’s offering is praiseworthy. He might be of a different religion but then Ram is everyone’s spiritual leader and does not belong to just one religion. The Lord’s life story and its lessons are the backbone of this nation. The mere thought of him inspires one to do good deeds,” said Sharma.
The new temple is also being visited by several Muslims after its inauguration on January 22.
It is noteworthy that the Urdu poet Mohammed Iqbal had labelled Ram ‘Imam-e-Hind’ who exemplifies the essence and spirit of India.
