Neither Dadri nor Babri: India is 'Muslim woman delivering 'Ganesha' inside temple'

Mumbai: At a time when politics of hate is filling up the air waves, a Muslim woman's story offers hope on the future of our country.

The setting was filmi and it happened in tinseltown Mumbai.

27-year-old Ilyaz Shaikh was woken up by his wife Noor Jahan at 4:30 am. Jahan was pregnant with their second child and she was in labour – four days ahead of the due date.

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Ilyaz hailed a taxi, hoping to reach Sion Hospital at the earliest. However, the narrow lanes of her Vijaynagar neighbourhood meant that they were no where help even after an hour on the road.

By that time Noor Jahan's labour pain intensified. The taxi driver panicked and forced them to get out of his vehicle.

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In pain, Noor Jahan was left stranded on the road.

Not knowing what to do next, Ilyaz helped her to the porch of a nearby Ganesh Temple and rushed to get another taxi.

A group of women devotees sitting inside the temple sensed the seriousness of the situation. Acting on their own, they brought Noor Jahan inside the temple and set about creating a makeshift delivery room with bedsheets and sarees from nearby homes.

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Older women in the group took charge of the situation and within minutes the sanctum of the Ganesh temple was filled with cries of a baby boy.

Mid-Day quoted Noor Jahan as saying, “I was tense when I was close to delivering in the middle of the road. But when I saw that there was a temple, I realized that God himself is watching over us. What could be better than giving birth before Lord Ganpati? We are going to name the baby Ganesh.”

India is alive...