Was inspired by Gita, says Deepak Kumar who stood up for Muslim shopkeeper

DEepak Kumar, the 46-year-old gym possessor who of late confronted a aggroup of right-wing rig members who were harassing an elderly moslem shopkeeper in Uttarakhand’s Kotdwar, said his actions were rooted in Sanatan Dharma and the Bhagavad Gita.A case has been filed against Kumar on a complaint by a Kotdwar resident who alleged that Kumar hurled caste-based slurs and attacked him with the intention to kill during the confrontation on January 26, when the issue began. This was the third police case registered in connection with this episode.Kumar told HT over the phone that his actions were rooted in India’s spiritual and cultural heritage, which teaches people to uphold truth and oppose discrimination.“Our Sanatan tradition teaches us Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — that the world is one big family. There is no place for hatred against anyone. The Gita teaches us to fight for truth and against injustice of any kind. That is exactly what I did when I stood by the elderly Muslim shopkeeper and opposed those who were harassing him to change the name of his shop,” he said.“If people truly understood the meaning of Sanatan Dharma, they would never engage in such actions,” he added.Kumar, a gym owner from Kotdwar, has seen his life transformed in recent days. His Facebook followers have jumped from a few thousand to over 570,000, with thousands of messages and calls pouring in from across the country.“It is overwhelming, the love and support I am getting from people across India. People are calling me, sending messages. I just want to tell them that I did this because our Indian traditions and values teach us to respect everyone and live in harmony,” he said.Yet the spotlight has brought anxiety for his family.“My family is worried. My daughter, who studies in lower kindergarten, has not been able to go to school amid apprehensions in this charged atmosphere. My gym has also been closed for the last few days. My wife and mother are anxious. I am not worried about myself, but about my family, who are struggling to deal with everything that is happening,” he said.Kumar said his 70-year-old mother has run a small tea stall in the local market since his father’s death more than 15 years ago. “For the last two decades, I have been working hard to support my family by running this gym in a rented space. My mother still runs the tea stall. I am proud of the values she has taught me,” he said.The row erupted on January 26 in Kotdwar, when Kumar intervened in a dispute over Wakeel Ahmed’s shop, ‘Baba School Dress and Matching Centre’, on Gokhle Road.A group of right-wing activists allegedly wanted the 70-year-old shopkeeper to remove the word ‘Baba’ from his shop’s name, claiming it referred to Baba Sidhbali, who is linked to a prominent Lord Hanuman temple in the town.According to Kumar, the activists ignored the shopkeeper’s explanation that the name held no religious connotation and had stood for decades. “Baba is used even for elders, children and respected figures,” he said.When Kumar intervened, he told the group, “My name is Mohammad Deepak,” in a gesture of unity against communal targeting.Tensions escalated on Saturday when Bajrang Dal activists demonstrated outside Kumar’s gym in the presence of police, demanding he come out. The state police have registered one case about the January 26 incident and a second, over the protest outside Deepak Kumar’s gym on Saturday.Kamal Pal, who filed the third FIR, alleged that he and his associate Gaurav Kashyap were on door-to-door outreach for the VHP’s ‘Dharma Raksha Nidhi’ programme when Kumar’s group blocked them, attacked, used slurs and took ₹3,000 in cash, a wristwatch and a mobile phone. Police have booked Kumar for rioting, criminal intimidation and breach of peace.Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has hailed Kumar as “India’s hero” for upholding the Constitution.Despite the case, Kumar stands firm. “No matter what happens, I will continue to defend those who cannot defend themselves. I am not afraid. They cannot extinguish this deepak (light). This light will ignite lakhs of other deepaks in this country, nourished by the values of Sanatan tradition,” he said.Meanwhile, Jharkhand health minister Irfan Ansari on Tuesday said he will give ₹2 lakh from his salary to Kotdwar’s Deepak Kumar as a token of his appreciation.Deepak has set an example of humanity, brotherhood, and love that has forced the whole of India to think, he said in a statement released by his office. “I have said this before—our fight is not against any Indian. Our fight is against that British mindset that ruthlessly crushed, killed, and enslaved our ancestors. Deepak has revived the true meaning of freedom and the spirit of that struggle today,” said Ansari.