Keeping The Faith

- Tanaya Singh And Ayushi Thapliyal

WHEN INNOCENT LIVES are lost in the name of food, faith and terror, and invisible walls divide communities, it shakes us to the core. We bring you faith-affirming stories of people who are wiping away hate and giving peace a chance. Everyday stories of ordinary people who, with their acts of generosity, humanity and compassion, have kept the spirit of India alive. People who have stood by strangers and friends alike, through grief and distress, lent a helping hand and pulled them out of trouble.

1. Saviour driver

Salim Mirza, the driver of the bus carrying Amarnath Yatra pilgrims rescued 49 of them during the shocking attack from insurgents last month. Displaying exemplary courage and presence of mind, Mirza drove on, through a hail of bullets and the dark mountainous terrain, on the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway until he found an army camp where he stopped the bus. “I just did my duty,” the driver from Gujarat’s Valsad district later said. Unfortunately, seven passengers lost their lives and over 30 were injured. Munir Khan, IG Kashmir, was quoted saying: “ … the passengers were all praise for the driver ... Had he stopped, more lives could have been lost.” The Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat governments have announced awards for Mirza for his exceptional bravery.

2. Celebrating together