At Bohra meet, PM Modi invokes Imam Hussain

Bhopal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday invoked Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad, to emphasise the need for peace and justice, as he visited a mosque in Indore to attend an event organised by the Bohra Muslims.

Mr Modi shared the dais with the religious head of the Dawoodi Bohras, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, at the Saifee Nagar at the “Ashara Mubarak” event which commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Husain and is held annually during the first 10 days of the Shia calendar, coinciding with the Moharram.

Addressing a gathering at the Saifee Mosque, Mr Modi said, “Imam Hussain had sacrificed his life for the sake of peace and justice. He had raised his voice against injustice and arrogance.”

He added that these teachings of Imam Hussain are more important today than those times.

The Prime Minister, who was felicitated by Mr Saifuddin on his arrival at the mosque, showered praise on the Bohra Muslim community for globally spreading the message of co-existence.

“The concept of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ is a great strength of India, making it distinct from others. The Bohra community is making the world aware of this concept through its work,” Mr Modi said. “I enjoyed a good relationship with the community when I was chief minister of Gujarat. Every village in Gujarat has at least one Bohra trader,” he said highlighting the role played by the community in development of Gujarat.

This was the Prime Minister’s first meeting with the religious head of the Bohra community and came ahead of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections in November-December. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was also present on the occasion.

Bohra community population in Madhya Pradesh is around 2.5 lakh, with concentration in three districts of Indore, Ujjain and Burhanpur.  

In his address, the Prime Minister spoke about his government’s initiatives like Swachchh Bharat Abhiyan, Make-in-India programme and the rollout of the goods and services tax (GST) and showcased the economy’s growth rate of more than eight per cent in the last quarter of the current fiscal.

He said the members of the Bohra community took maximum advantage of his government’s initiatives as they are known to carry out their trade and business world over with honesty. “They (Bohras) have set an example for other people (with their honest trade dealings),” he said.

At the same time, he added, “all five fingers of a hand are not equal. Some people consider fraud as business”.

He said his government, over the last four years, has sent out a message that business should be done within the purview of the rules and law.

“Honest businessmen are being encouraged through steps like GST and bankruptcy law,” Mr Modi said.

Mr Modi recalled Mahatma Gandhi’s close association with Sydena Mohammad Burhanuddin, the late spiritual head of the Bohra community.

“Mahatma Gandhi met the Sydena during a train journey and they became very close. During the ‘Dandi March’, Gandhiji stayed in Saifee Villa (a building owned by the community in Dandi, Gujarat) which was later dedicated to the nation,” the Prime Minister said.    Referring to his government’s Make-in-India programme, Mr Modi said, “The confidence of investors across the world has increased in India. The production of mobiles phones, vehicles and other goods is increasing due to record investment.”

He said that in the last quarter of the current fiscal, the country has achieved a growth rate of more than eight per cent.”We are eying the double digit. I believe that the country can reach the goal despite all the challenges,” the Prime Minister said.

Mr Modi also said that his government has given priority to health and nutrition sectors and is working to provide a house to every homeless poor in the country by 2022.