Delhi father Yashpal Saxena’s ‘iftar for love’ in honour of murdered son proves a raging success as hundreds turn up in solidarity with inter-faith relationships.
New Delhi: A life was remembered and a clear message sent over fruit salad and soya biryani at an iftar in Delhi’s Raghubir Nagar this Sunday.
Yashpal Saxena’s ‘iftar for love’, aimed at thwarting attempts to politicise his son Ankit’s murder this February by his Muslim girlfriend’s family, proved a raging success, with hundreds turning up to bolster his calls for peace.
Though Ankit’s mother stayed at home throughout, Saxena greeted and interacted with all the guests, who included local families, NGO representatives and members of the press. At 7:17 pm, when time came to break the roza, Ankit’s friends served food, and Saxena and the guests together settled down for the feast, washing it all down with a refreshing pink sherbet.
As they ate, Ankit’s friends, wearing white t-shirts with ‘awara boys’ written on the back, went up and down to ensure all the guests had eaten. The 500 plates of food ordered were soon over.
Praise and threats
A budding photographer, Ankit, 23, and his girlfriend had been in a long-term relationship, and several people, especially online, sought to use his murder to propagate their divisive agenda. From the beginning, Saxena has fought these attempts with a passion, eager to protect his son’s memory from hate.
The iftar was the first official event of a trust Saxena has established to protect couples in inter-faith relationships, his way of honouring Ankit’s legacy.
Saxena cited a report done by ThePrint last week on his iftar plans as he talked about the overwhelming response he has received. “As soon as news of the iftar spread, I got several calls from across the country,” Saxena said, talking to ThePrint from his one-room flat after all the guests had eaten. “Many came forward to help organise this for me, as I was clueless about the customs,” he added.
But there were threats as well. “Two-three days before, I got a call at midnight. Someone on the phone warned me against keeping the iftar. They did not want peace,” Saxena said.
His eyes welled up as he recalled how he had briefly considered cancelling the event for fear of violence. “However, I thankfully decided against and went ahead,” he said, adding, “We notified police and they assured me that I could go ahead with my plans and that they would support me and offer protection.”
The only change in plans was to shift the venue from a neighbourhood park to the bylanes under his flat.
“I don’t want to be remembered, nor do I want to be famous. My only endeavour is to keep the memory of my son alive. I want his name to be synonymous with tolerance and religious harmony,” Saxena said.
Saanp ko dudh pilane ka kuch fayeda nahi hone wala, mauka aane pe tumhari gardan kaatne se pahle unke hath nahi kapne wale, ye hindu ultra secular banne me hi gayab ho gaye kai desho se, Aur ye peacefully gardan katte rahenge .