Dadri: Shaken by the beef lynching episode, the troubled Bishada village in the district is agog with activity today with Hindus joining their Muslim brethren in making preparations for the wedding of two girls belonging to the minority community.
Bishada resident Hakeem, who till a few days ago was toying with the idea of shifting the wedding venue outside the village in the wake of the beef rumours that saw a man being brutally beaten to death, is now all smiles as villagers have ensured security for the family celebrating the marriage on Sunday.
Hindu families are all set to welcome the bridegroom and their families and are busy making preparations for food and tent. The wedding feast though will be strictly vegetarian.
"The ceremony will be held in the Bisada primary school. I have made arrangements for the food and tent. Other people are also chipping in. The family has invited nearly 1,000 people but we have made arrangements for 1,500," H K Sharma, resident of Bisada was quoted as saying.
Repeating the claim of Mohamad Akhlaq's family that the village was peaceful and never before seen any such incidence of communal strife in the past, Hakeem said "Our village is like one big family. We always extended help to each other in trouble. Hindus from the village are helping me financially and physically. It feels like they are marrying off their own daughters."
Hakeem was earlier planning to shift the marriage venue out of the village due to the tense situation in the village after 50-year-old Iqlakh was beaten to death and his 22-year-old son Danish was critically injured by a mob which barged into their house on the night of September 28 following rumours that the family had consumed beef.
However, after Hindu families extended support he decided against doing so. SDM RK Singh said situation in Bishada is slowly returning to normalcy.
Meanwhile the victim's son Danish was yesterday shifted to Army's Research and Referral (R&R) hospital in the national capital.
The 22-year-old was moved from Noida's Kailash Hospital, where he was being treated for the past 12 days. Dr Anil Gurnani of Kailash Hospital had said that Danish
has recovered well and is able to walk and move about. He is being essentially shifted for rest and rehabilitation.
"He was able to recognise (people) and also walk with support. He has eaten food as prescribed by doctors," said Irfan, son of Iqlakh's elder brother, Jamil.
Earlier state minister Azam Khan had sent ambulance for shifting Danish to a Ghaziabad hospital but his family had declined to shift due to his critical condition.
