Author: Reporter
Publication: Mumbai Tarun Bharat
(Marathi daily)
Date: September 27, 2003
"'The attitude of looking towards
Muslims in this country should be humanitarian and not of appeasing them'
is the opinion of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh", said Shri Indresh ji All-India
Sahaprachar Pramukh of RSS and there was a thunderous applause by the prominent
Imams and Maulvis gathered in the Sunhari Baug Masjid as their reaction.
200 frontline Imams and Maulvis,
and more than 60 students of Madarassas were present at the Conference
held in the ground of Sunhari Baug Masjid near India Gate by All India
Council of Imams representing about more than about 2 lakh Imams and Maulvis.
In this meeting 6 points were agreed upon.
The President of Council, Jameel
Iliayasi had invited Sarsanghchalak Sudarshan ji, President of VHP Vishnu
Hari Dalmiah, Prof. P. K. Singh and Ex MP Mahesh Sharma for the special
meeting of the Council. Sarsanghchalak Sudarshan ji was invited to understand
the viewpoint of RSS towards Muslims. However, he could not come due to
previous engagement. But as his representative, Indresh ji attended the
meet.
After the speeches of Imams from
Gujarat, Ajmer Sharief and Delhi, the speech of Indresh ji was in two stages.
In his initial speech, Indresh ji put forth the outlook of RSS towards
Muslims.
On his stand, some questions raised
by some Imams. In answer, Indresh ji said, Muslims in this country have
not come from anywhere outside. They are the sons of this soil. If we go
on tracing the history of old generations, we will find a time, when their
ancestors were Hindus and their names were Ram, Hari and Vishnu etc. Muslims
will have to accept this position. For some Muslims brothers, Mecca and
Madina became their holy centres of pilgrimage. RSS does not have any objection
to that. But it has strong opposition to devotion to Pakistan or Arab countries
because they have become Muslims.
In this meeting, agreement was reached
on 5 important points. 'Not only to care for Hindu feelings, but because
cow is a most useful animal, cow slaughter ban is necessary'. This was
accepted by both sides. Muslims should agree to the truth that the inheritance
of the Muslims in this country is Hindu and they should introduce themselves
as Hindusthani Muslims. Hindus or Muslims should not be prohibited from
going in the Masjids and Temples respectively. To end the dispute over
the religious places, the leaders of both communities should come together
and the structure under dispute should be returned to those whom they originally
belonged. Instead of fighting with each other, the fight should be with
the extremists in the respective communities and opinions should always
be expressed on good things about each other. With these measures, social
unit can be achieved.
