Muslim Man Seeks to Protect Hindu Temples

March 27, 2005

Source: Kerala Next.com/India News

http://www.keralanext.com/news/indexread.asp?id=163454

On March 27, 2005 India News reported, "About thirty four terracotta temples of 18th century at Pathra in Midnapore district of West Bengal have an unlikely saviour - a Muslim clerk who fought against communal tension, apathy and negligence to ensure that they survive for posterity. For Yasin Pathan, the man who looks after these temples, the mysterious temples have been a point of attraction since childhood days. His curiosity was again aroused when an archaeologist--Tarapada Santra, helped him collect material on their history. When he realized that these temples built by Hindu landlords were centuries old, he came forward for their look after. The Muslim school clerk says that for him it was not a question of being a Hindu or a Muslim, but a matter of loving and respecting the history of the country. In a country where communal violence has led to deaths of thousands in the last decade, Pathan's efforts to save temples from destruction are truly exemplary."