Click to play videoNew Delhi: One man in Gujarat has been trying to restore the confidence of the riot-hit people of Gujarat in a unique manner. Meet Hanif Bhai, who bridged the gap between Hindus and Muslims in Naroda Patia locality in Ahmedabad, by introducing them to cricket.
The Naroda Patia area witnessed maximum number of brutal killings during the 2002 Gujarat riots. The soil here had been drenched with blood, the area turned ghost-land until Haneef stpped in.
Now it’s a hub of cricket for local boys, coming from the Hindu and Muslim community. Salim and Ravi who play cricket regularly in Naroda Patia recall the many brutal killings in the 2002 Gujarat riots.
“Almost all the people here lost loved ones in the riots,” said Ravi.
The fact that these players today play on the same field is a testament to the masterstroke of one man—58-year old Haneef Bhai who has managed to get the people of the two communities to play as one team. A team that now loves lives and sweats it out together
“What we did was, we bring the two communities closer and therefore looked at common traditions between them. Community cricket was just one of the ideas,” said Hanif Lakdawala Founder, Sanchetna.
And cricket is not the only bridge that Hanif has built. His community health initiative, an NGO called Sanchetna does more than just impart reproductive health education to adolescent girls. Hanif's and his dedicated team use this platform to bring together girls of both communities in the riot-hit areas.
Hanif's team might be in place but the tournament is far from being won. But Hani pledges to strive till the differences between the Hindus and Muslims are erased.
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