Minorities religious leaders mindset not changed

New Delhi, Sept 3: Taking note of the series of Fatwas issued by Darul Uloom against singing of national song Vande Mataram or asking the Muslims from enrolling themselves in the life insurance on the ground that interest earned on bank deposits as well as insurance of life was bad, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh today said the mindset should be changed on such issues.

In its editorial headlined 'Fatwa and polity' in the latest edition of its mouthpiece Organiser, the RSS said majority of Muslim leadership and largely the community had ignored the fatwa against Vande Mataram and the religious leadership stood out like a 'sore thumb' for their attempts to push the community to extreme positions by stoking artificial situations to create social tension.

These men are 'largely illiterate and blissfully unaware of the march of time and were envious of their brethren marching shoulders to shoulders with the rest of the country to a new, prosperous and strong India. "The Muslim symphysis into the national mainstream frightens them," the editorial said.

The country had never heard a fatwa against terrorism, child marriage, ill-treatment of women, of indulging in illegal activities like smuggling, hawala and narcotics. "What do they hope? Keep 14 per cent of the billion population captive to their evil designs. Do they hope to construct another communal divide?'' the editorial said.

The mindset of the religious leadership has not changed. It was this attitude prior to Independence that instilled fear in the mind of the Muslims that they would be treated as a 'second class citizens' and could never hope to implement Shariat that forced the creation of Pakistan. Those who propounded this hopefully left the country living the life they desired. What about those who opted to live in the country's rich composite culture they share and belong to this great land and rebuild India as a dreamland of the universe? "Should they be allowed to destroy this garden of billion flowers? Should they succeed in their evil designs once again?" the paper said.

The paper argued for not allowing the idea of challenging India by such forces and said the nationhood can't be allowed to be trampled. The nation had to set a ground rule, this far and no further. National flag, national anthem, national songs, national icons have to be defined and made inviolable on September seven, the paper said.

UNI

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