Sister donates her Hajj savings for Coronavirus welfare work

A Muslim woman from Jammu and Kashmir has donated her savings of Rs 5 lakh, meant for the Hajj pilgrimage, to the RSS-affiliated ‘Sewa Bharati’ after apparently being “impressed with the welfare work” done by the outfit amid the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Khalida Begum, 87, who saved Rs 5 lakh for Hajj, was forced to change her plans this year due to the lockdown.

Khalida Begum ji was impressed with the welfare work done by the Sewa Bharati in Jammu and Kashmir during the tough time the country is passing through due to sudden outbreak of COVID-19 and decided to donate Rs 5 lakh to the organisation.

Arun Anand, RSS Media Wing

Every devout Muslim wishes to go to Hajj which is a Islamic pilgrimage to Makkah in Saudi Arabia. This year however Makkah too has also been closed due to the Coronavirus.

Sewa Bharati is an organisation that has a vast presence in the union territory and regularly organises blood donation camps, medical camps, eye-testing camps, relief and rehabilitation activities, cleaning activities, and many others. Sewa Bharati was actively involved in providing relief and rehabilitation of civilians affected by the Jammu Floods in 2014.

Since the lockdown was announced, Sewa Bharati volunteers across the country have been providing food and other essential items to the needy. The Sangh-affiliate’s volunteers were seen on Saturday managing crowd and providing food to them at the Anand Vihar bus terminal in Delhi. Khalida wants this money to be used by the community service organisation to further help the poor and needy.

Anand said despite her age, Khalida had been very active in welfare works for the women and the downtrodden in Jammu and Kashmir.