Video Editor: Vivek Gupta
“We are hosting an iftar party for people of all faiths, and everybody’s invited,” says Yashpal Saxena, the father of Ankit Saxena, who was murdered in Delhi earlier this year.
On 1 February 2018, 23-year-old Ankit, an aspiring photographer from West Delhi, was waylaid by members of his Muslim girlfriend’s family, who were opposed to her relationship with a Hindu man. His throat was slit, and he bled to death.
Today, at the spot stands a makeshift memorial, set up by friends and family of the 23-year-old.
“Ankit’s life, his legacy is to be celebrated and if people are coming together for a good cause in my son’s name, what can possibly make me happier?” his father Yashpal Saxena told The Quint
To Saxena, the hosting of this iftar party is the beginning of what he hopes will become a campaign to promote communal peace.
The motive of hosting this iftar celebration is to promote peace, unity and love among all people.Yashpal Saxena
Yashpal and his wife expect to host between 50 to 100 people in a park near their house on Sunday, 3 June.
The idea to host the iftar came from Muslim friends and neighbors, Saxena says, adding: “The one part I am insistent on is that the celebrations are open and invitations are extended to people of all faith”. There is no political or religious agenda here, Saxena insists, adding that it made sense to mark the start of the campaign in the month of Ramzan with an iftar. The Saxenas say they look forward to bringing people together for Eid, Ganesh Chaturti, Navratri and all festivals across faiths.
Speaking about ‘The Ankit Saxena Fund’, a crowd-funding drive which he began with the aim to promote social and communal harmony, Saxena says there has been a “heart-warming” response to the several projects and sub-projects under this trust, including this iftar celebration.
“We have received a tremendous amount of support from people across the country for our campaign, and if this ends up being a success, it’ll be for the people. They are who helped us take this the right way,” he says.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)