Muslim NRI helps pandemic-hit Hindu neighbour set up store

Himmatnagar: At a time when politicians have polarized whole communities in their quest to garner votes or consolidate their vote bank, a Muslim Non-Resident Indian (NRI) businessman settled in the US has emerged as the torchbearer for helping out Hindu men who had been rendered unemployed due to the lockdown and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Janubhai Memon of Himmatnagar has proved to be a good samaritan for providing help to the underprivileged without discriminating on the basis of caste, creed or religion.

Yogeshkumar Ratibhai Nayak, a resident of Brahmaninagar area of Himmatnagar lost his job post the lockdown periods and could not get another one with a regular income.

Nayak used to collect Memon from the airport when he visited India. When he came to know about Nayak’s plight, he decided to call on other Muslim brothers to help Nayak set up a small grocery shop.

Expressing his heartfelt gratitude for Memon’s help, Nayak said, “I had lost my job during the lockdown and was struggling to feed my family. Janubhai helped me stand on my feet again despite being so far away in America.

I don’t have words to express my thanks to him. Whatever he has done, setting up my shop, I do not think that nobody else would have done this for me and my family.”

He added, “The place where I used to work before the lockdown, he also never called me to ask if I needed any help. But, Janubhai came to my rescue by sending money from there.

I had been jobless for four months when he came up with the idea of setting up a grocery shop. He even bought me all the stock I have in my shop for sale. He is akin to God for me.”

Memon’s actions have earned him praise from people of the city as well. (First  India Bureau)