“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” – said Martin Luther King, Jr.
Forget about self-concern, this man’s act went beyond religion and what he did is an ode to humanity.
A divisional forest officer in Buldhana (Maharashtra), Sanjay N Mali observed ‘Roza’ (fast) in the holy month of Ramzan. But what was so extraordinary about this story?
Mali is fasting since May 6 for his ailing driver Zafar so that his health doesn’t get affected and he recovers fast.
With a staunch belief that everyone should do their bit to spread communal harmony, in an interview with ANI, Mali said, “On 6 May, I asked him if he will keep Roza. He said he won’t be able to keep Roza as his health does not support him because of duty. So, I told him I will do it in his place. Since May 6, I have been keeping Roza. I wake up at 4 am and eat something. Then I break my Roza after 7 pm.”
This year Eid will be celebrated on the first week of June, which marks the end of a month-long fasting period. The holy fast ‘Roza’ begins with a pre-dawn meal called ‘Sehri’ and after the day-long fast, at sunset, ‘rozedaars’ (people who keep fast) come together for an evening meal called ‘Iftar’.
Further, Mali also mentioned that all religion teaches something good and therefore, we must see humanity as a priority to spread harmony across all communities. “After keeping Roza, I am feeling very fresh,” he adds.