Malick Asgar Hashmi/Gurugram

It was around 4 pm on Monday when Sarpanch Showkat noticed a rally of 50 motorcycle-born youth headed towards the Gurukul in his village Bhadas of Mewat, Haryana. The Gurukul had at least 100 young students learning Hinduism and their teachers in the residential school that was established in 1995.

The motorcyclists had hidden their faces with masks; they wielded lathis and carried petrol-filled bottles in their hands. By this time, news about a religious procession being attacked in the neighbouring Nuh had reached the village.

Fearing the worst Showkat rushed to the gate of the Gurukul and stopped the youth who had come with evil intentions.

In the meanwhile, he called three young members of his family – Sarfaraz, Hanan, and Irshad – and together they stood as guards at the main gate of Gurukul. When the miscreants asked him to make way for them to enter the Gurukul, the Sarpanch threatened to open fire at them.

In the meanwhile, Sarpanch Showkat called more than 50 people from the village. In no time around 100 people had gathered at the Gurukul gate where children and teachers were huddled in fear of being attacked.

They stood as a rock in front of the mob.

For about 20 minutes Showkat-led villagers continued to reason with the mob and finally, they chased the intruders away with sticks and lathis.

Sarpanch Showkat later told media person that none of the motorcyclists were from the village. They appeared to be in the age group of 20-25 years. They identified themselves as from a distant village. They carried weapons too.

Showkat continued to stay there till 4 in the morning and left only when the police arrived.

This is one among scores of heartwarming stories of Muslims and Hindus behaving as humans to save each other in their respective areas of dominance after the rioters tried to spread the fires of hate in the name of religions in Mewat that have started pouring in.

In Bhadas village, three Muslim youths took a couple who were traveling on their motorbike along with their young daughter to their home and saved them from rioters.

During this violence, Hari Om Sharma, a resident of village Bichhore, his wife, and their three-year-old daughter were on the way to see a relative in Mewat's Punhana village. When they reached Singar village, the miscreants stopped them and took away the bike and all their possessions.

 It was about 4.30 pm when Hariom reached Punhana village and he saw burning vehicles and he panicked.

He decided to return home and then he saw the rioters were chasing him. In the meanwhile two Muslim youths also followed the mob. They asked Hari Om and his family to follow them and took them home via narrow lanes and by-lanes of the town.

They closed the gate of their house, provided the family with water and food, and told them not to venture out till the rioters left.

Hariom later told media persons that but with the help of those two youths, he and his family would not have lived to tell the tale.

The two young Muslim men accompanied them to the safe place via fields.

Meanwhile, media reports say on July 31, Budhram, his son Nikhil, and their accountant Ajit of village Hodal were gheraoed by rioters at Mewat's Singar village. The miscreants attacked them, looted all their belongings, and set their car afire.

They were badly beaten up and had no idea where to go when Haji Mohammad of Singar took them to his house. The rioters came to know about it and arrived to confront the Haji.

While Haji Sahib was trying to reason with them, the womenfolk of the family picked sticks and lathis and said they would not allow miscreants to enter the house.

In yet another incident former Sarpanch Mohit Rawat took a large number of people injured in the riots at Hodal to the hospital. He learned that the mosque in front of his house had been attacked and many people were injured.

He reached the mosque and rescued the injured and others from the control of the miscreants, the people of the Muslim community were taken out and admitted to the hospital and some shifted to their homes.

Iqbal Zaildar, former Sarpanch of village Bichhor, told that the people of the Hindu community have set an example of goodwill by taking dozens of Muslims trapped in the riots to safer places.

In village Pinangwa of the Nuh district people came together on Wednesday evening and took a pledge to protect their Hindu neighbours under any situation.

The village peace committees have become proactive all over Mewat. A day ago, Peace Committee meetings were held in all three sub-divisions of Faridabad under the chairmanship of the District administration officer like SDM and the SP.

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According to media reports, in Mewat, Hodal, Gurgaon, Hindus are coming forward to save Muslims.