Muslim inheritor of temple priest's Guru Purnima legacy

Ahmedabad: Guru Purnima cannot be held in Raslod village of Prantij taluka in Sabarkantha district without the participation of a Muslim philanthropist, Raees Kasbati. As willed by the former priest of a local Hanuman temple, Kasbati has been organizing Guru Purnima observances since 2002. In fact, even the foundation-laying ceremony of any new temple is not possible in Prantij if Kasbati cannot take part.
In 2002 riots, four persons including three British nationals, were killed in Prantij. So Kasbati's significance in the circumstances represents a miracle of amity. Kasbati, whose ancestors are believed to have been the rulers of the Prantij Kasba, adheres to the traditions of all religions as he believes that humanity is the most important religion in the world.
"I started organizing the Guru Purnima festival as the president of Kashtbhanjan Hanuman temple of Raslod village," said Kasbati, who is an agriculturist. "Four years ago, when Mahant Mohandasji died at the age of 124 years, I had performed his last rites as he had wanted."
Kasbati said he offers aarti at the Kashtbhanjan Hanuman temple, where the destitute are offered food - a practice that has been unbroken for 124 years. "I am also one of the trustees of Dasha Ma temple," said Kasbati. "Prantij is a communally sensitive place. But whatever happened during the 2002 riots, happened on the outskirts of Prantij."
He said he had held meetings with the leaders of both communities during the communal conflagration. "That helped us prevent further communal tension in Prantij," said Kasbati, who intensified his peace initiative after the post-Godhra riots.
In 2009, Kasbati was appointed as peace ambassador by a UN affiliate, Universal Peace Federation. He said his forefathers were also deeply involved in working for communal harmony. "The country is discussing intolerance, but being a Muslim I have never faced any intolerance," he said. "According to me, the only real binary is humanity and inhumanity. So we should focus on spreading the message of humanity."
Kasbati is a trustee in two mosques of Prantij: Jung Ali Shah Masjid and Fateh Ali Islam Masjid. Hematji Chauhan, the sarpanch of Raslod village, said, "Raeesbhai serves humanity. Everyone loves and respects him." Maulana Muhammad Nabeer of the Jung Ali Shah Masjid, said, "Raeesbhai is taking all communities forward in his march towards humanity. We welcome this."