A Happy Finding

A Happy Finding

1990 8 August 16 A Happy Finding (353)

When I was in Ambehta in the Saharanpur District on September 6,1989, I learned of a happening which bears an important lesson.

Four years prior to my visit, a middle-aged gentleman, Dr. Shahid Rasheed Sabri, had bought a five-acre plot of land on the outskirts of the town, next to a Hindu cremation ground. When the formalities of the purchase were completed, he had a boundary wall set up. But certain members of the Hindu community objected to this on the grounds that this wall appropriated a part of the land which actually belonged to the cremation ground.

Although Dr. Sabri knew that he was dealing with professed communalists, he did not lose his composure. He simply asked them to measure the land and then to take the double of whatever piece of land had been misappropriated and to join it on to the cremation ground. He even added that if, after measuring the land, they wanted to have the work of annexation done on their own, he would have no objection whatsoever.

Two years later, in the month of August, Dr. Sabri was walking along a nearby street when he came upon a group of Hindus on their way to the cremation ground. They informed him that they were going to measure the land. Dr. Sabri told them by all means to go ahead with their task, whereupon they asked him to accompany them.

After some time, Dr. Sabri did arrive at his plot, put he did not interfere in the taking of the measurements. Finally, after measuring the land several times, the Hindus had to admit that their doubts had been ill-founded. Dr. Sabri had not only built the boundary wall entirely on his own plot, but had left a wide margin to the cremation ground.

After this incident the local Hindus were so impressed by his that they themselves asked him to stand for election as chairman of Ambehta. They told him that he would surely win, as both Hindus and Muslims would vote for him. Dr. Sabri thanked them for their good wishes, but declined to contest the election.