In Uttarakhand, Deepak Kumar, the owner of a gym from the majority community, stood up against Bajrang Dal members who were harassing a minority community trader. The gym owner not only faced the harassers but also identified himself as “Mohammad Deepak”, thereby fusing his own religious identity with that of the minority community. This, he said, was his way of conveying secular values and the idea of India. He did receive some support on social media, and Rahul Gandhi called him the “hero of India”. That the importance is disproportionate emphasises the need for people’s resistance and the support for it even in everyday matters.

Source: The Telegraph February 07, 2026 02:53 UTC