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There is a popular quote in the 2019 film Klaus: "A true selfless act always sparks another."
This aptly captures the pushback against hate that we have seen in the past few weeks. It's courtesy to this one name that has made it to headlines and gone viral for all the right reasons: Mohammad Deepak aka Deepak Kumar who rescued an old Muslim shopkeeper and confronted a radicalised majoritarian mob in Kotdwar, Uttarakhand.
In a communally charged state like Uttarakhand where calls for 'Hindu-only Devbhoomi' galore, Kumar seemed to be an exception. Weeks later, what we see is a ripple effect of his actions: several cases of people resisting hate and questioning the mobs across the country.
All because Kumar said these five simple words: 'My Name is Mohammad Deepak.' His words and action have catapulted and actualised acts of solidarity rarely seen in today's political climate.
This is not to say that hate crimes have been reported any less. In the face of larger pattern of attacks by Hindu right-wing groups, it has been a beath of fresh air, perhaps, a small win that more people are calling out the audacity of mobs to harass people.