Muslim volunteer shares special bond with Yogi Adityanath
At first sight, he is no different from any other saffron-clad Hindu volunteer offering selfless service at Gorakhnath temple, but this 30-year-old youth shares a special bond with the temple’s head priest and Uttar Pradesh’s new chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Man Mohammad is a Muslim youth who has been serving at the temple’s ‘gaushala’ (cow shelter) since the age of 10. Hailing from an extremely poor family, he was initiated into the service by his father Inayatullah who himself was a volunteer when mahant Digvijay Nath and mahant Avaidyanath were the priests of the iconic temple. Man is single. Like other volunteers, he is paid a nominal amount and given food for his services. Mahant Digvijay Nath, an MP on Hindu Mahasabha ticket, was succeeded as temple chief by mahant Avaidyanath, a three-time MLA and an MP. Mahant Avaidyanath passed on the baton to Yogi Adityanath in 1998, 16 years before he died in 2014. Man offers namaz and follows Islamic practices. B...