A 46-year-old gym owner named Deepak Kumar from Kotdwar in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal district became a national sensation after a video showed him stepping into a fight with an attacking mob.
What Was The Incident All About?
On January 26, Republic Day, Kumar intervened when a group of men surrounded and harassed 70-year-old Muslim shopkeeper Wakeel Ahmed, demanding that he remove the word ‘Baba’ from the name of his long standing shop, Baba School Dress. The mob demanded that the shop change its name which it had used for approximately thirty years, and this demand faced public condemnation as an act of communal violence.
But Who Is Deepak Kumar? And What Did He Do?
The video shows Kumar questioning the mob’s reasoning while he defended the shopkeeper’s right to use the name ‘Baba’ which Ahmed should not have faced different treatment than others. When a group member asked for his identity Kumar performed a symbolic act of unity by declaring his name as ‘My name is Mohammad Deepak!’ which showed his view of himself as an Indian who belonged to multiple religious faiths. Kumar later explained that his statement was intended to emphasize equality and shared humanity, not to denigrate anyone’s religion.
Aftermath Of Going Viral
Since the footage spread across social media, Deepak has faced both praise and threats. Many people have praised him as an uncommon example of bravery who stands with others during increasing communal conflicts, while people who support network organizations have attacked him. Police were required to control the situation because both his home and gym became gathering places for groups of people. The incident at the two locations led to the filing of two FIRs because one FIR accused a group of threatening the shopkeeper and the second FIR charged a group with communal disruption activities, which brought about complicated legal and social outcomes from the event that became famous on social media.
