Nearly three months after their son was brutally murdered, Ankit’s parents, 59-year-old Yashpal Saxena and his wife Kamlesh, have decided to turn their grief into a social cause. They aim to start the Ankit Saxena Trust.
February 2018 was Ankit Saxena’s worst nightmare come true. The 23-year-old photographer, a resident of Khyala’s Raghubir Nagar in Delhi, was stabbed to death.
All because he was in love with a girl who belonged to a different religion.
Ankit was in a relationship with 20-year-old Shehzadi for almost three years. According to the police, her family was against their relationship.
Nearly three months after their son was brutally murdered, Ankit’s parents, 59-year-old Yashpal Saxena and his wife Kamlesh, have decided to turn their grief into a social cause. They aim to start the Ankit Saxena Trust.
Yashpal had previously requested people and the media not to politicise or communalise his son’s murder.
In an interview with NDTV, Yashpal said, “I don’t want any inflammatory statements. I feel very saddened by what happened, but I don’t want anyone to create a hostile environment against Muslims. I have nothing against any religion. Yes, those who killed my son were Muslim, but every Muslim can’t be branded for this. Don’t use me to spread communal tension, don’t drag me into it. I appeal to everyone not to link this to religion and vitiate the atmosphere.”
Yashpal aims to start this trust which will work towards ‘Aman’ which means peace and harmony in Hindi.
“It will also help those who want to marry outside their religion or caste,” he told The Hindu.
He is currently in talks with an NGO which is helping them execute the idea.
And while the couple is still reeling under the loss of their only son, they are also trying to revive the motor bells manufacturing business they ran two years ago.
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They continue to demand capital punishment for those responsible for Ankit’s murder and are yet to receive the help that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal assured them, regarding a good lawyer to fight their case.
The family’s strength and goodwill to turn something tragic into a social cause calls for support. We hope they receive all the help they require to turn their vision of ‘Aman’ into reality.
(Edited by Shruti Singhal)
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