Gujarat: Two Faces Of 2002 Riots Join Hands As One Inaugurates Another’s Shoe Store In Ahmedabad

In 2002 Gujarat riots, Ashok Parmar and Qutubuddin Ansari had defined the emotional extremities of the riots. But now they have become friends and the bonding of their friendship is so deep that Parmar’s footwear shop was inaugurated by Ansari. The shop called ‘Ekta Chappal Ghar.’ Parmar and Ansari both became friends when they were brought together on the dais of a communal harmony programme in 2014. Parmar defined his friendship with Ansari by saying that the latter wrote a book which was launched by him. “We were called in a seminar in 2014 where we became friends. He wrote a book and I launched it. I had requested him to inaugurate my shop. Its name is a message that today's Ahmedabad is different from the one in past. Today Hindus-Muslims live together harmoniously here,” Parmar said. “Ashok bhai had requested me to inaugurate the shop. I did that, congratulated him and made a small purchase there. Time heals all wounds; if we stay fixated on that we won't go anywhere. People think for each other in our society, that is the identity of India,” said Ansari.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 11, 2019 12:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).