Mumtaz (fourth from right) and her group clean Dulli Ghat in Patna City. Picture by Sachin

Since 2002, Mumtaz Jahan has been tidying up the ghats to make way for a pious Chhath.

A practising Muslim and an apostle of peace, Mumtaz, has taken up the broom to rid the Patna City ghats of dirt. Accompanying her in the mission are 250 women from her community.

Ever since Mumtaz became the councillor of ward number 59 in Patna City, the resident of Ghasiyari Gali has been religiously cleaning up the ghats ahead of Bihar’s biggest festival.

Several people of her community had reservations about her work in the initial days. But she did not relent.

“We had to face a lot of resistance and people used to say that cleaning up the ghats will not send a good message to the community. Many said we must stop doing it because the families would earn a bad name,” says Mumtaz, who had just 15 women with her when she had started the noble task.

The striking part of the entire process is that the women clean up the ghats wearing the burqa.

On what motivated them to take up the brooms before a Hindu festival, 36-year-old Mumtaz says: “I wanted to send a message that we can earn respect only if we value other religions. Unless this feeling comes from every section, we will not be able to maintain harmony in society. Now, we have 250 women involved in cleaning the ghats and the number is increasing every year.”

She adds: “Now, they are proud of their work and even their husbands don’t mind appreciating their zeal.”

Happy for Mumtaz, who has inspired hundreds to work for a different community, her husband Mohammad Javed says: “I am glad that every year more women are joining her (Mumtaz). I feel proud that her initiative has changed the perception of Chhath. She has broken the religion barrier and has proved to be a true crusader.”

Mumtaz narrates how she goes about the cleaning work every year. “We start the work in a planned manner. We hold meetings and decide how to go ahead with the work. We do the volunteering from Pehli Arghya till the festival gets over,” she says.

Every year, Mumtaz and her team clean up Dulli, Sirhi, Colony, Nauzar, Adarsh, Sita and Mittan ghats. They do not charge anything for their efforts.

Shakeela Khatun, an associate of Mumtaz in her initiative, says she defied everyone to take up the broom for a Hindu festival.

“In the beginning, my husband and other family members were sceptical about cleaning ghats on Chhath, which is observed by the Hindus. But Mumtaz convinced my husband and my family so that I could do it. Cleaning the ghats now gives me immense satisfaction,” says Khatun, a resident of Gurhatta.

Munni Begum, another resident of Ghasiyari Gali, says: “It is nice to see smiles on the faces of others. Since women mostly observe Chhath, I understand their feeling. Cleaning up ghats for a festival is a pious work because god is equal for everyone.”