In a Hindu-dominated village in the Ayodhya district, Hafiz Azeemuddin, a member of the sole Muslim family in the town, has won the Panchayat elections, defeating other candidates.
Azeemuddin, the winning candidate from village Rajanpur, says that he succeeded due to his Hindu brethren’s faith.
“I am sure that of the 200 votes I secured, only 27 will be from Muslims – because, in my village, there are only 27 Muslim voters,” said Azeemuddin.
These 27 Muslim voters are a member of Azeemuddin’s extended family.
He further added that his victory isn’t an example of the Hindu-Muslim unity in his village alone, but the whole of Ayodhya.
Azeemuddin is a farmer by profession who also holds the degree of Hafiz and Aalim from a madrassa. Before joining his family in farming, Azeemuddin taught in a madrassa for ten years.
Athar Hussain, secretary of Ayodhya Mosque Trust, commenting on Azeemuddin’s victory, said: “It is a manifestation of our pluralism. It shows that the idea of cultural harmony in India survives despite all odds. Let us strengthen the bond of harmony and fraternity.”