Hindu man raising a Muslim child in Lucknow

Today, i.e Thursday the 31st January, 2013, at around 11hrs, As I was flipping the channels to kill my leisure time and my remote paused me at the Sony Entertainment Channel where I was glued with this programme called crime patrol with shock and amazement. Initially, I was for sure that programme would contain full of criminal related incidents but truly happened one somewhere in our country. Later from internet I came to know that this story belongs to Aiku Lal Sandil and Akbar from Lucknow city.

On February 2002 a tea vendor in Lucknow Aiku Lal Sandil finds a Muslim boy abandoned at a garden near his tea stall, when asked about his whereabouts the boy only remembers his name as Akbar, Aiku reports to police but the police were unable to trace the boy's parents as there was no complain registered on missing of a three year old boy in any of the police station all over the state. 

After loosing hope police advice Aiku to shift the boy to an orphanage, Aiku refuses and brings up the boy on his own, Aiku has merge income but ensures the boy gets proper education and also retains Akbar's religion by taking him to a muslim clerk and making the child learn Quran and read Namaz daily. Soon a lovely relationship blossoms between a hindu man and a muslim boy and they both form a family of their own.

But their world turns upside down when the boy's biological parents turn up and seek the custody of boy, but the boy refuses saying Aiku is his father-mother and wants to stay with Aiku, but the boy's biological parents go to court to claim Akbar's custody. But court pronounces judgement in favor of Aiku and acknowledges Aiku's upbringing of the boy by retaining his religion and providing education. During court proceedings we get insights about the life of Aiku as how he was brought up with love an care by a Muslim family in spite of him being a Hindu.

“I am a Hindu brought up by a kind Muslim man. When I found Akbar, it was like God telling me that it is time to return the love and care I got from His people. I was never forced to change my religion and, having got that education from my guardian, it was my duty to take care of the child and bring him up as per his own religion,” Sandil says. 

I got to know about this story through Crime Patrol but the names of Aiku and Akbar have been changed to kishan lal and imran, when i first watched the episode i was moved by its message that showed us how Humanity is greater than religion and also the fact that love is out of bounds of religion and caste.

                                       

                                       

                                       
It makes me really proud to think such people still exist in this day and age, where people of different religions continue to live in unity. No conversion was attempted. They retained their original identity and yet they are far superior at heart.

"One who raises is always bigger than the one who gives birth."

Yours,