At MP event, Modi lauds Bohra community
INDORE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the Bohra Muslim community for globally spreading the message of co-existence at an event on Friday to mark the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad.
Sharing the dais with the Dawoodi Bohra community’s religious head, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, at the Ashara Mubaraka event held at the Saifee Mosque, Modi praised the community for its culture of honest business dealings. The Bohras are a sect within Shia Islam known for their trading and business acumen.
“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,” Modi said in his address to the community, explaining that Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam was an ancient Indian concept that envisages the world as one family.
According to community leaders present on the occasion, Modi is the first Prime Minister to address the Bohras during their annual 10-day Ashara Mubaraka.
In his address, Modi said that having achieved 8% economic growth in the last quarter, the country was eyeing faster expansion. “The country is now eyeing a double-digit growth and, despite all the challenges before us, I am confident that the way we are progressing we will achieve it,” he said.
Modi said his government had made it clear that everything had to be within the ambit of the law. “We have introduced GST (goods and services tax), made laws like the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and several others to encourage honest business,” he said, adding that the Bohra community, most of whom are in trade and commerce, were taking maximum advantage of it.
But he added, “Lekin ye bhi sach hai ki pancho ungliyan ek samaan nahi honti. Hamaare beech se hi aise log niklate hain jo chhal ko hi karobaar maante hain (But it’s also true that all five fingers are not the same. There are some people among us for whom cheating is a way of business).”
Modi also announced the launch of the “Swacchata hi Seva” fortnight from Saturday, which will continue till October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
He said he would address via video-conference on Saturday all those engaged in cleanliness campaigns from all sections of society.
He said the Swachh Bharat campaign had been started by the government but the people of the country had taken it to heart. There had been toilets only in 40% of houses in the country four years back but now the number had gone up to more than 90%, he said. The PM congratulated the people of Indore and Bhopal, which enjoy the top two slots in the cleanliness rankings.