Rehmat Festival Celebrates Acts of Radical Love and Courageous Kindness

Society faces profound challenges as foundational values of compassion, justice, and empathy experience severe strain globally. Violent incidents, systemic discrimination, and stark socioeconomic disparities increasingly threaten societal cohesion. In response to this civilizational crisis, public testimonies and active resistance against state injustice and communal hostility have become essential duties.

Global and local landscapes reveal deep fractures characterized by mob violence, honor killings, and caste-based atrocities. Marginalized communities face systematic disenfranchisement, displacement, and the violation of basic citizenship rights. These local crises mirror global inequities, where extreme wealth concentration coexists with widespread hunger, inadequate healthcare, and severe child malnutrition.

International geopolitics further worsens these conditions, as major powers facilitate severe violence against civilians and humanitarian workers in Gaza. Global leadership openly discusses the displacement of indigenous populations to facilitate commercial re-development. These recurring accounts of escalating animoristy and inequality signal a profound crisis of civilization.

Confronting this reality requires bearing public witness to disturb the collective conscience and spark resistance. Citizens must challenge hate and systemic bias through legal battles, public demonstrations, and cultural engagement.

Courage and kindness

However, succumbing to despair remains unacceptable, as sustaining hope constitutes a vital public obligation. Beyond resisting injustice, society must acknowledge the numerous unrecorded instances of profound compassion, courage, and solidarity occurring daily.

Historical narratives demonstrate that human legacy involves both oppression and remarkable kindness. The aspects of history that society chooses to emphasize ultimately shape its future trajectory. Therefore, recognizing and celebrating extraordinary acts of empathy is as critical as witnessing systemic injustice.

These actions represent radical love, where individuals risk personal safety or freedom to protect persecuted communities. Such quiet acts of valor frequently escape public attention and lack systematic celebration.

To address this, a collective idea emerged to establish localized celebrations honoring these expressions of solidarity. This crowdsourced initiative seeks to foster a broader movement centered on mutual respect and healing.

Rehmat festivals

The initiative is named Rehmat, an Urdu term signifying compassion, kindness, and care. The primary objective of the Rehmat project is to identify and publicly commend individuals who actively oppose violence and bigotry.

The program honors those preventing communal, caste, and gender-based violence, alongside individuals safeguarding persecuted persons under extreme duress. These citizens defy mob pressure, state hostility, and personal deprivation to defend vulnerable populations.

Essentially, the platform honors individuals standing firm against divisive forces. Organizers intend to transform this into an ongoing series across multiple Indian regions, utilizing crowdsourcing to discover similar accounts of courage.

Starting in Hyderabad

The inaugural Rehmat festival occurred in Hyderabad, hosted by local organizers at the Lamakaan cultural space, which was established 16 years ago. The local organizing team included Humera Ahmed, Ashhar Farhan, Elahe Hiptoola, Saleema Razvi, Azam Khan, Asiya Ahmed Khan, and Amir Ullah Khan.

The civil society group Karwan e Mohabbat assumed the responsibility of identifying the honorees. Researchers traveled to Kashmir, Manipur, Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, Mustafabad in north-east Delhi, and coastal Karnataka to engage with potential participants.

Following extensive discussions, the selected individuals accepted the invitation to attend the event scheduled for June 13 and June 14, 2026. The journeys involved significant logistical hurdles for several attendees unaccustomed to long-distance travel.

Haider Shah, whose son Syed Adil Hussain Shah died defending tourists in Pahalgam in April 2025, undertook his first journey outside Kashmir. Organizers provided continuous remote guidance to assist him through airport security and boarding protocols.

Similarly, Kuki peace activist Ngaineikim Lunkim from Manipur bypassed the unsafe road to Imphal. Instead, she completed a 10-hour mountainous drive to Aizawl to secure a flight to Hyderabad.

In Hyderabad, youth volunteers assisted the guests, who visited local landmarks and shared meals in citizens’ homes. The diverse group visited various places of worship on Sunday, establishing deep personal connections and forming a digital network to maintain long-term contact.

The opening evening at Lamakaan commenced by honoring Haider Shah, the father of the 28-year-old Kashmiri pony operator killed while attempting to disarm a terrorist targeting tourists.

Journalist Kunal Purohit, Haider Shah, journalist Rana Ayyub, and activist Harsh Mander participated in the presentation.

The father expressed profound grief over losing his eldest son and primary breadwinner but articulated deep pride in his son’s sacrifice for humanity. He emphasized that his cultural and spiritual values dictated protecting guests.

Himanshi Narwal

Subsequently, Lalita Ramdas accepted an award on behalf of Himanshi Narwal, a young woman who publicly renounced vengeance after her naval officer husband was killed by terrorists during their honeymoon.

Lalita Ramdas, representing a prominent naval family, delivered a written tribute acknowledging Narwal’s composure and firm stance against the targeting of minorities following the April 22 violence.

The tribute commended Narwal for articulating the sentiments of conscientious citizens and urged the wider dissemination of her message of peace.

The forum next recognized Imam Rashidi of Asansol, West Bengal. During 2018 communal tensions, the Imam ensured the unconditional safe return of two Hindu children stranded in a Muslim-majority neighborhood.

Shortly after ensuring their safety, the Imam learned that his own son had been tortured and killed in the violence.

To prevent retaliatory violence, Imam Rashidi publicly appealed for calm, stating that while his son’s death was a personal tragedy, any retaliatory violence against Hindu residents would represent an even greater disaster.

Journalist Kunal Purohit, vocalist Vidya Rao, Imam Rashidi, journalist Rana Ayyub, and activist Harsh Mander shared the stage during this segment.

A visiting civil society delegation observed that young local men adhered strictly to the Imam’s directive, maintaining peace under volatile conditions.

History of Civil Peace Movements in India

Public initiatives confronting communal tension possess a long history in India, stretching from Mahatma Gandhi’s peace marches during partition to modern civil society coalitions. Forums like Lamakaan and networks like Karwan e Mohabbat continue this tradition by providing institutional support to grassroots peacebuilders. By archiving and celebrating individual acts of courage, these modern movements create alternative narratives that challenge institutional bias and communal polarization, ensuring that grassroots solidarity remains a recognized force in contemporary social history.

FAQs

What is the primary objective of the Rehmat festival?

The Rehmat festival is an initiative designed to identify, celebrate, and publicly honor ordinary citizens who demonstrate exceptional courage, radical love, and kindness by standing up against hate violence and protecting vulnerable communities.

Where and when did the first Rehmat festival take place?

The inaugural festival was organized at the Lamakaan cultural center in Hyderabad on June 13 and June 14, 2026, drawing participants from various conflict-affected regions across India.

Who are some of the key individuals honored at the event?

The event honored individuals like Haider Shah, father of a Kashmiri pony operator who died protecting tourists; Himanshi Narwal, a naval widow advocating against communal revenge; and Imam Rashidi, who prevented riots after his son’s murder.