Nayagarh: Filing of a modification petition in the apex court for review of the stay order on Puri Rath Yatra has put the spotlight on the petitioner— a student of minority community in this district.
Aftab Hussain is a resident of Narayanpatna village under Itamati village and a Plus III second year student of Nayagarh College.
Filing of the review petition has also brought his immense love for the Lord to the fore even as he hails from a minority community. He has maintained a fine balance between his love for the Lord and his own religion.
He has been worshipping the Trinity by placing them on a chariot at home. However, he has never neglected his own religion. Aftab daily offers namaz and keeps fasting during the month of Ramzan
Aftab’s love for the Lord has brought him closer to the deity for which he has been actively doing research to know more about the Jagannath culture along with his studies. The love for the Lord dawned on him since childhood and has only increased with the passage of time.
He, however, has never faced any opposition from his family. His mother Rashida Begum has been the most inspiring personality in his life. She always guides him on his path.
When contacted, Aftab said the world famous Rath Yatra should not be cancelled in any circumstances as it will create a wrong precedent.
The grandeur of Lord Jagannath is immense and if He wishes the order of the apex court will change. No one should doubt it as he has full faith on Him. He said Rath Yatra could be carried out by imposing a complete shutdown in Puri.
When asked about his devotion for Lord Jagannath, he said he was drawn towards the Lord by hearing from his maternal grandfather Mutalab Khan. He was a native of Bijipur village on the fringes of Nayagarh and Khurda districts.
His grandfather, a devotee of Lord Jagannath, shifted to Narayanpatna and helped establish a Trinath temple there. His mother Rashida is a Jagannath devotee. The two have inspired him since his childhood.
Moreover, his school teacher Banshidhar Sahu also brought him closer towards Jagannath culture during various interactions. He was having tuition with Banshidhar Sir who spoke to him about various mysteries surrounding the Lord.
He also gave him some books to read to learn more on the Jagannath culture. This helped him develop more interest for the Lord.
He said that God is one although there are different religions. He said people are facing a lot of problems in their lives due to division among them based on religions. This is wrong and everyone should understand this, he said.
PNN