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Humanity still exists.

This was what social media users felt, after a group of young Muslim men helped a Hindu man perform his sister’s last rites in Karnataka.

Many tweeps shared the news reports with posts appreciating the Muslim youth.

Indian newpaper, Times of India tweeted: “Muslim men help Hindu man perform sister’s last rites.”

According to the report, Bhavani, a 52-year-old Hindu woman died after suffering a cardiac arrest on Saturday: “Bhavani died at Janavasati Colony in Puttur taluk’s Vidyapura. She was not married. Her brother Krishna requested his relatives and locals to help him conduct her last rites. Till Saturday afternoon, the body remained at Krishna’s house as none came forward to help him. That is when Shaukath, Hamza, Nazeer, Riyaz and Farooq started collecting funds and helped him cremate the body.”

India has recently seen communal tension across the country. Many felt this report brought positivity as compared to the current situation caused by anti-communal politicians.

Twitter user @skumars2 tweeted: “...it’s not rare as article says. They (people) happily live together unless some anti-social element positions it.”

Some tweeps remembered older times when people of all religions used to peacefully co-exist in the country.

@ramnarayan_sr tweeted: “I still remember standing outside the classroom to make sure that my friend finished his Namaz .... More than a Hindu, I saw a friend in him and not a person of another religion. Stop dividing for mere TRP (Television Rating Point). India is beyond this.”

Twitter user @dryadusingh added: “This is a great/enlightening story. Religion comes, and must come, much below humanity. While our religion is a private matter between us and our God, it is true that humanity is a public matter for every human and is much higher than religion. Humanity first.”

On Facebook, Deepa Ankola wrote: “Thank u Muslim brothers and sisters for your help rendered to the deceased. It is said that helping for the last rites is no equal to have built a thousand temples. Allah tum sab ko khush rakhe (May Allah keep you happy). You have shown that humanity still prevails on Earth.”

Pakistani Facebook user Ali Syed wrote: “And here in Pakistan many Sikhs arranged great iftars for Muslims during Ramzan. Humanity above all religion.”

Many social media users emphasised on the need for communal harmony.

Abdul Akram Vasim wrote on Facebook: “Brotherhood still exists in our society and the example is this. As much as politicians can try to divide us but by heart we all are together cause after all we are human being and not greedy politicians who make differences in the name of religion only for their chair, power and luxurious life. People should understand it. People should understand that, if a riot breaks out who suffers... only common people not politicians.”

Kartik Keyan added: “Perfect example of communal harmony. Only fringe elements are dangerous to this diversified land.”

However, some said that bringing religion into such stories was unnecessary. Tweep @AyaanGuptaInd wrote: “This is stupidity. Why is media labelling people as Muslims and Hindus? When people live in close proximity in a village away from media bias, they tend to help each other irrespective of their caste or religion. Stop your agenda.”

The Times of India article quoted the young men saying: “We did not do it for publicity. We came forward to help, not considering the caste or religion of the deceased. We wanted to send a message that the dead should not be denied the last rites.”