Assia Loutfi
In Mahoba, a region situated in the north of India, Hindus have decided to fast with the Muslims in the region to help them obtain health insurance.
In Mahoba the lack of health services is a real issue. The patients of this region are primary admitted to the neighbor regions. That’s why the inhabitants of this region want to set up the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The goal of this institute is to provide unbiased, affordable and quality healthcare to the inhabitants.
The Muslims in this region launched a first campaign in March. They wrote 1,000 post cards in 18 languages to the prime minister of this district on a daily basis. But it didn’t have much effect. Hindus of this region wanted to attract the attention of policy makers towards the problem. The AIIMS at Mahoba would also contribute to the Hindu-Muslim harmony. That’s why the Hindus of this region decided to fast during the first day of Ramadan, to promote the campaign and to prove that religious harmony is possible.
“We want to attract the attention of government towards our problem. We have opted for an exceptional route to show that lack of health services in the region is an important issue that cannot be ignored. We want policy makers to acknowledge our unity and take a positive decision for setting up the AIIMS in the district as poor health services in this area affect all, irrespective of caste and creed,” said a social activist Tara Patkar.
The success of this campaign is yet to be determined but one thing is sure: this is a nice example of religious harmony.
