Mohan
Bhagwat Urged Muslims to Come Out Of the Cycle of Fear and Start Dialogue
Main
Points:
1. RSS Chief
touched on the sensitive and burning issue of mob lynching of Muslims.
2. Mohan
Bhagwat addressed the Muslim wing of the RSS, Rashtriya Muslim Manch .
3. When Hindus
and Muslims belong to the same race, only dofference in religion cannot be
construed as disunity.
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New
Age Islam Correspondent
5 July 2021
Addressing an event organised by the Muslim Rashtriya Manch on the theme
'Hindustani First, Hindustan First', Mohan Bhagwat said that people can't be
differentiated on how they worship. (File Photo)
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On Sunday the 4th July, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat addressed the Muslim wing of the RSS, Muslim Rashtriya Manch and spoke on a number of issues concerning Muslims. During his address he touched on the sensitive and burning issue of mob lynching of Muslims by cow vigilantes. He condemned mob lynching and said that mob lynching was against the principles of Hindutva. His statement has come at a time when a number of cases of mob lynching have taken place during the last few years and created an atmosphere of fear among the minority community. Mohan Bhagwat urged Muslims to come out of the cycle of fear and start dialogue. He said that problems could be solved through dialogue not discord.
Muslim
Rashtriya Manch was founded in 2002 at the behest of the then chief of the RSS,
K. Sudarshan who wanted to promote dialogue between Hindus and Muslims and the
idea of nationalism among Muslims. Many famous Muslims including Maulana Hifzur
Rahman Meerathi and Maulana Umer IIyasi are associated with it.
In the
meeting Mohan Bhagwat also said that different communities have their own ways
of worship and so they can't be differentiated or discriminated against on the
basis of their way of worship.
In this
address, Mohan Bhagwat also took a positive stance on Muslims. Until now, the
RSS was of the view that Muslims were outsiders and invaders but Mohan Bhagwat
is of the view that Muslims were the sons of the soil. He said that the DNA of
all Indians was the same irrespective of religion and so the idea of
Hindu-Muslim unity was misleading. He also rejected the idea of dominance of
either Hindus or Muslims because, he said, Indians live in a democracy and in a
democracy no community has an upper hand over the other.
Mohan
Bhagwat's views on Hindu-Muslim unity, mob lynching and the place of Muslims in
India has positive overtones and indicate a change in RSS' outlook on Muslims.
When he said that mob lynching was against Hindutva, he reflected the principle
of Vasudeva Kutumbakum and sent a message to the unruly and communal
elements who tarnish the image of Hinduism by indulging in mob lynching.
He also
raised a very important point that the issue of Hindu-Muslim unity arises only
when there is disunity. When Hindus and Muslims belong to the same race, only difference
in religion cannot be construed as disunity.
However,
the proof of the pudding lies in the eating. If Mohan Bhagwat's words reflect
the policy of the RSS, then mob lynching must stop and and an atmosphere of
trust and peace should prevail in the country. The next weeks and months will
show whether his speech was a mere exercise in image makeover on poll eve or a
sincere expression of true nationalism.
In a
nutshell, Mohan Bhagwat's speech can herald a new era in Hindu Muslim relations
in the country and it is hoped that the extremist groups among both the
communities will shun the culture of violence and work to build bridges on
common cultural grounds.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-politics/rss-bhagwat-lynching-hindutva/d/125049
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