Hindu trader wins Muslims hearts

Offers 50% off on fabrics in Ramazan; sale attracts hordes of customers

PESHAWAR:

A Hindu cloth merchant in Battagram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has won the hearts of Muslims by offering a generous 50% discount on all items during the holy month of Ramzan. The merchant, Jacky Kumar, has put up a large banner in front of his shop ‘Ram Cloth House’ in the busy Ajmal Bazaar to attract visitors to the discount offered on fabrics for both men and women. Kumar, who has been a resident of Battagram for generations, explained that the offer was made as a gesture of reverence for the holy month of Ramzan and the upcoming Eid.

Kumar’s idea came to him when a Muslim friend expressed his inability to purchase new clothes for his children. As a result, Kumar decided to offer a discount to the inflation-hit locals. Suits worth Rs1,400 are being sold for Rs750, and those with a price tag of Rs2,000 are now available at half price, Rs1,000. The discount offer, which began on March 28, will remain valid until the end of Ramzan. Within two days of the announcement, a large number of people rushed to Kumar’s shop, and he sold around 5,000 suits.

Kumar’s goodwill gesture has been met with surprise and jubilation by almost all customers, including men and women who availed of the offer. They expressed gratitude and made many prayers for providing them relief at a time of economic stress. Kumar remarked that he was content with the response and that the monetary loss was nothing compared to the satisfaction one gets from doing good for humanity. He also revealed that he would provide stitched clothes to orphaned Muslim children up to 12 years of age for the upcoming Eid.

However, some local fabric dealers have expressed resentment over the sale offer, which, according to them, has badly impacted their business. Dilip Kumar, a shopkeeper at Ram Cloth House, said that although the decision was made for the welfare of the masses, it had received backlash from some local businessmen. Nonetheless, the discount offer has been highly praised by people in the area, with many from Battagram and adjoining districts visiting Ajmal Bazaar to avail the offer.

Jacky Kumar’s initiative is an excellent example of interfaith harmony and respect for other religions among the people of Pakistan, said Haroon Sarab Diyal, Chairperson All Pakistan Hindu Rights Movement. As an elder of the Hindu community, Sarbdyal added that they were delighted to learn that this initiative was taken by one of their community members, which reflected the soft image of Pakistan.

“The value of suits being sold at Ram Cloth House nowadays are even less than the factory rate and has been highly hailed by people of the area,” said Ehsan Naseem, a local journalist from Battagram.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2023.