Sikhs and Hindus donate land and labor to rebuild mosques in Punjab

Sikhs and Hindus in the Indian state of Punjab are donating land and resources to rebuild mosques that were destroyed during the Partition of India and Pakistan.

Residents in several villages are working together to restore religious sites, fostering community unity in a region that experienced historical violence during the division of the territory. In the village of Jakhiwal, a 77-year-old Sikh woman named Bibi Rajinder Kaur encouraged her grandson to donate land for a new mosque.

In Punawal, Jaspal Sharma, who comes from a family of Hindu priests, donated land for a mosque that reached completion in February. Sharma hosted a feast for the whole village to celebrate the project, noting that Hindus and Sikhs contributed money, bricks, and cement to the effort. In the village of Umarpura, local Sikhs provided labor to restore an antique Muslim shrine.

Sukhjinder Pander, one of the men who worked on the restoration, stated that the community prioritizes love and unity over religious differences. He noted that residents in the area celebrate both Eid and Gurpurab, the holy festival of Sikhs, with equal fervor. These acts of cooperation reflect a long-standing pattern of religious tolerance in the region. Similar instances of neighbors from different faiths supporting one another to build religious infrastructure were reported in other Punjabi villages three years ago.

Residents say these actions are rooted in the local culture rather than official government policies.