Amid rising tides of communal intolerance that continues to erode the social fabric in India over the past decade, a mason from Murshidabad’s strife-singed Samserganj has done what few might dare in such times.
Md Soleman, 37, a mason, opened his modest home to his Hindu neighbour, childhood friend Mithun Mondal, 36, a plumber, after the latter lost his house to the relentless erosion of the Ganga last year.
The two families have now lived together for nearly 10 months in the village of Natun Shibpur, barely 5km from the epicenter of April’s communal unrest that rocked Samserganj and Dhulian.
In September last year, when the river swallowed Mithun’s six-room house, leaving him, his wife and five children homeless, Soleman gave them shelter without a second thought.
In his small home with just four rooms, Soleman handed over two to Mithun’s family, charging them nothing. “It is not about rent,” Soleman said. “It is our bond of love."
The April violence, triggered by protests over amendments to the Waqf Act, saw arson, looting and bloodshed. It claimed three lives and forced thousands to flee from the two pockets of Murshidabad.
Inside Soleman’s home, peace prevailed.
"Since September last year, I have been staying at Soleman's house,” Mithun said. “He brought me and my family here when we were wandering with nowhere to go. When the riots erupted, we felt no fear because Soleman once again stood like a saviour beside us.”
Soleman and Mithun have grown up side by side. Their homes once faced each other across the village road that skirts the Ganga. When erosion claimed Mithun’s house, it was natural, Soleman felt, to take his friend in, even if it meant facing social backlash.
During the communal unrest in April, some villagers from Soleman’s own community questioned his decision. “They asked why Mithun, being Hindu, should stay with us when both communities are fighting elsewhere,” Soleman recalled. “But I made it clear that helping someone in distress is a service to Allah. How could I abandon someone I’ve grown up with just because of his religion?”
Soleman, his wife Jahanara and three children now live in two rooms. Mithun, his wife Madhuri and his five kids share the other two. Every morning, the two men leave for work together. Their children walk to school side by side. Their wives, Jahanara and Madhuri, spend the day rolling biris, cooking and gossipping.
"The river is dangerously close now. It’s already reached the road beside our house,” Jahanara said. “We don’t know how long we have before the Ganga takes this house too. But till we have our home, Mithunda and his family will stay with us.”
She added: “During the riots, many tried to isolate Mithunda by pointing to his religion. But we told them clearly—humanity comes before religion. Thankfully, they understood.”
Soleman’s quiet defiance in front of sectarian pressure left Mithun deeply moved. “After we lost our house, I was truly helpless. Soleman gave us a home without hesitation,” he said. “Even I’m not sure I would have done the same if the roles were reversed. For 10 months now, he hasn’t taken a rupee from us, although he easily could have. It's remarkable how he faced opposition from his own community and yet stood by us.”
Mithun’s daughter, Ritika, a Class VII student, said: “Even though we lost our house, it never felt like we were away from home. Soleman uncle and Jahanara aunt love us like their own. It’s like we’re not two families but one.”
Samserganj’s block development officer Sujit Kumar Lodh called it an example of “real India.” “For centuries, Hindus and Muslims have lived together,” he said. “The April riots were the work of goons. People like Md Soleman and Mithun Mondal are the hope we need."