Navi Mumbai: In a moving display of communal harmony, residents of Panvel’s Bharat Nagar slum witnessed an extraordinary act of solidarity as members of the Muslim community extended critical support to a Hindu family during their time of need.
Neha Paswan, a 23-year-old woman from a financially distressed Hindu family, succumbed to kidney failure on Wednesday night after battling health complications for several months. Originally from Jharkhand, Neha’s father, Dharmendra Kumar Paswan, has been living in Panvel for years and works odd jobs to support his family.
As the Paswans struggled to afford Neha’s medical treatment, help came from an unexpected source—Latif Shaikh, former corporator and Congress city president, who stood by the family throughout their ordeal.
"The corporator has helped me a lot. He provided all possible help be it financial, moral. we have been residing in this area for the past four years and he is known in the area of helping the poor. So we approached him and he actually provided all the help," Jayawanti Devi, Mother of the deceased.
For the past eight months, Shaikh, along with other members of the Muslim community, contributed towards Neha’s treatment expenses.
In moments of medical emergencies, Neha was transported multiple times to hospitals using the ambulance services of the Kacchi Mohalla Masjid Trust. Following her death, the same ambulance was used to take her body to the crematorium.
The family’s troubles didn’t end with her passing. With no financial means to even procure a death certificate or arrange the last rites, the Paswans were left helpless. Once again, the local Muslim community came forward. Residents from Patel Mohalla and Bharat Nagar joined hands to ensure Neha received a dignified farewell.
On Thursday, a group of young Muslim men accompanied the family to the Kolivada Hindu crematorium, where the final rites were performed according to Hindu traditions. All expenses were covered by Latif Shaikh.
“What religion or caste she belonged to didn’t matter to us. We helped out of a sense of humanity,” said Shaikh. This incident has been widely appreciated as a reminder that humanity transcends religious boundaries.
