Mohammad Deepak and Society’s Silence
A man who once stood against communal hate should not be left standing alone in front of a rent notice. Yet that is exactly the bitter comedy around Mohammad Deepak, or Deepak Kumar, whose gym is reportedly under pressure because the income has fallen after the Kotdwar incident, and the building rent has climbed to more than ₹2 lakh. The same society that applauded his courage now watches his livelihood wobble like a chair with one missing leg. Very patriotic. Very forgetful.
The satire writes itself, but the pain is real. Deepak did not just post a brave opinion online. He risked his life to protect a Muslim shopkeeper from a communal mob, and the backlash came fast. A first FIR was filed against him, while the people who created the chaos reportedly remained untouched for a long time. That is how our system often works: the man who shows humanity gets labelled, and the men who spread fear get treated like background noise. Beautiful governance, terrible conscience.
His gym is not just a business. It is his livelihood, his family’s support system, and the roof under which dignity still tries to breathe. Support has come from some lawyers, public voices, and a few well-wishers, but support after the storm is not the same as protection before the storm. We clap for courage in public, then leave the brave person to pay EMI, rent, and reality alone. That is not solidarity. That is weekend morality.
Deepak’s story should embarrass society, not Deepak. If a man who chose humanity over hate can be pushed toward shutting his gym, then the real question is not whether the gym will survive. The real question is whether our collective shame will ever show up on time.
