Time and again I have the feeling that we should try our best to adhere to the norms of humanity irrespective of our inherited religious affiliation either to Hinduism or to Christianity or to Muslim or to any other faith. Human being all over the world is the same-having the equal feeling of joy, happiness and pain.

A recent episode has vindicated my stand.

Our complex called South Avenue in Bhopal encompasses 192 residential flats. Residents hailing from different regions of the country having diversified cultural and religious background live in harmony like a big joint family. Needless to say majority belong to Hinduism whereas a few families are either Christians or Muslims.

On one evening in one of the Muslim nuclear families residing in the third floor, the husband was out in the office and the housewife went to the bathroom leaving her one-year old baby in a playful mood in the bedroom. The child while playing here and there bolted her mother in the bathroom from outside hardly realizing the impact of such action. The bathroom has only one small-ventilated window near the ceiling fitted with tainted slabs of glass panes having openings in between the slabs. With the passage of time having no clue as to what to do to get out of this situation the mother started crying from inside whereas the baby was howling in the bed room. With great difficulty the lady broke the window panes and shouted at the top of her voice to seek the help from her neighbour in the next block nearly 12ft. away. The news spread like a wild fire and all the residents came forward to chalk out a plan for their rescue. Efforts were made to break open the front doors of the flat. Some dents could be made on the outer door fitted with iron net but the inner door was very hard to crack. The baby’s cry was becoming louder and louder generating pain in every resident. Each passing moment was becoming unbearable. Young children abandoned their routine games/cycling; ladies came out leaving their daily ritual of worship or favourite TV programs or cooking; gentlemen back from office were in no mood to sip their evening tea with the family. Everyone was seen to be anxiously standing on the lawn beneath the flat with breaded breath with prayer on their lips irrespective of their faith. Pain and anguish on their faces knew no bounds. Only aim was to see the rescued smiling mother with the baby in her arms.

Ultimately a staircase was brought and efforts were made to reach from the balcony of the neighbouring third block to the balcony of the affected one. Luckily the door of the balcony leading to the interior of the flat was open. It was not an easy task as there was hardly any time to take the precautionary measures for fixing the staircase. It was laid horizontally connecting the two balconies without any support. One gentleman belonging to Hindu community came forward risking his own life and tiptoed on the stair- case to reach the affected flat and rescued them.

Everyone was pleased to see smiling mother with composed child in her arms establishing once again exemplary triumph of humanity over all other considerations.