Muslim brothers bid farewell to Hindu woman they called mother after 50 years of care in India's Kerala

Two incidents in the Indian state of Kerala have highlighted interfaith solidarity, as two Muslim brothers performed the last rites of an elderly Hindu woman they had cared for for nearly five decades, while a local mosque opened its doors to facilitate the funeral rites of another Hindu woman, Maktoob reports.

In Chitragiri, Muttam, in Wayanad district, brothers Razak and Sulaiman cared for 85-year-old Kalyani Amma as their own mother for nearly 50 years, despite having no biological relationship with her.

After her death, the brothers honoured her final wish by performing her last rites, treating her as a member of their own family.

Razak said Kalyani Amma had been part of his life since he was two years old and that his family had always considered her their mother.

"Isn't she my mother? Why should we hesitate to perform the last rites for her? She is not someone else; she and my mother are the same to us. There was nobody else, so we did what we had to do," he said.

Kalyani Amma lived in Razak's house, where the family cared for her through old age and illness. They also supported her after she suffered burn injuries in a fire accident, taking her to hospital, arranging medicines and looking after her until her death.

Razak's wife said the family celebrated festivals together and that caring for Kalyani Amma had never felt like a burden, despite the challenges posed by her injuries and declining health.

Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan praised the family, saying the incident reflected the spirit of the state.

"This is the Keralam I know, love, and believe in. Here, a mother's love does not check religion. A son's duty does not ask about caste. And grief, like love, belongs to all of us equally," he said.

In a separate incident in Changaramkulam, Malappuram district, Pallikkara Khadeeja Masjid opened its doors to help arrange the funeral rites of Premalatha, a 52-year-old Hindu woman who died of cancer.

Her family was struggling to bathe her body because of limited space in their rented home. Mosque authorities and local residents stepped in and arranged facilities at the mosque.

Premalatha's relatives, local residents and members of the Women's League took part in the funeral preparations.

Following a public viewing at her home, her body was taken to the public crematorium in Eshwaramangalam, Ponnani, for cremation.

The two incidents have drawn attention to examples of interfaith cooperation and community solidarity in Kerala.