New dimension to Rakshabandhan

Muslim Rashtriya Manch

Virag Pachpore

“Rakshabandhan is a festival that binds the society together with a feeling of ‘one country-one people-one culture’ and unite us to protect and preserve our sacred relations, our culture, dharma and society,” said RSS National Executive Member Shri Indresh Kumar in Jaipur on the occasion of ‘Bhai-Bahen Utsav’ organised by Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) on the eve of festival of Rakhi on August 19.

Addressing a massive congregation of over 2500 Muslim and Hindu women gathered on the occasion at a specially erected shamiyana  in the premises of Khandelwal College in Shastrinagar of Jaipur, Shri Indresh Kumar, who is also Patron of MRM, said the programme was historical in the sense that never in the history of India such a grand programme was held. This was for the first time that MRM ventured to organise such a programme and the massive response it evoked proved that this was the only way to usher in an era of communal harmony, peace, brotherhood and freedom from terrorism and separatism of all hues.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Union Minister Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, Swami Yatindranand of Haridwar, Maulana Jafrul Hasan ‘Ayodhyavasi’, MRM national convener Mohd Afzal, co-conveners Shahjad Ali, Abu Bakr Naqvi, Reshma Hussain, senior RSS activist Ramprasad and others were also present. Muslim women tied Rakhis to Hindu brothers while their Hindu counterparts tied Rakhis to Muslim brothers at the programme presenting a novel concept of Hindu-Muslim unity and harmony. The conveners claimed that this was the first of its kind programme in the entire history of India.

The guests offered chunris as mark of honour and character, bangles, kerchiefs and sweets and assured them of  protection from all evils.

In his speech Shri Indresh Kumar stressed on protecting the honour of women, saving the girl child and honouring the relation of bhai-bahen. Quoting from Islamic scriptures, he said according to Islamic tenets the real heaven lies at the feet of the mother. If we failed to save the girl child today where will we get loving mothers, caring wives and darling sisters? We must save ourselves from falling into the trap of female feticide and save the girl child.

He also gave a message of maintaining the sacred relations of husband and wife, brother and sister, and providing opportunities to girls for education and progress.

Referring to the recent speeches of the President and Prime Minister he said that both of them agreed that the situation in the country was not good. We attained freedom but failed to bring in good governance and harmony. Everywhere we find the atmosphere of hatred, fundamentalism, terrorism and separatism driving the people. To free the country from all these evils we need to create an atmosphere of love, peace, tranquility, communal harmony and brotherhood. The festivals like this help us in achieving this target, he said.

Noting that this was the first such occasion when Muslim sisters in such a massive strength had gathered to tie Rakhis to their Hindu brethren and the Hindu sisters reciprocating their goodwill. This is unique and sacred happening, which would pave the way for mutual love and understanding. This is the positive expression of the ideology of RSS. This was the miracle of RSS ideology, which believed in oneness of all the people living in India irrespective of their religious practices.

Describing the event as unfolding of a new dimension of RSS thought process, Shri Indresh Kumar underlined that this program highlighted the most sacred scene of all inclusive Indian culture. “We are all related to each other by our ancestors, culture and race, and this festival has strengthened this feeling once more,” he said.

Appealing to the mediapersons not to look at this programme from political angles, Shri Indresh Kumar said the programme was the expression of divine will and humane approach. The intention of the programme was to cement the communal harmony and this has shown the path on which the future India would tread the path of progress, prosperity and become the world leader.

Describing this as the first of its kind and unique programme in the world and Indian history, Indresh Kumar said the programme has laid a strong foundation of future India. Next year, this programme will be observed at different places in the entire country.

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi laid the stress on maintaining the unity and integrity of the people. He said, “We are all ‘Hindustani’ and ‘Hindustan’ is our motherland. There is no division of us into minority and majority. We are all Indians”. He repeatedly asked the gathering to recite the slogan Hindi hai, hum vatan hai Hindosta hamara.

Mohd. Afzal, Maulana Jafrul Hasan ‘Ayodhyavasi’, Swami Yatindranath, Salavat Khan, Reshma Hussain, and others also spoke on the occasion.

The programme sent shivers down the spine of the Congress leaders in Rajasthan. They never expected that Muslims would gather under the RSS banner in such large numbers and participate in the programme. With the assembly elections round the corner, the love of the Muslims for MRM and RSS has caused sleepless nights to many a Congressman in the state. The Congress viewed it as direct infiltration of RSS into its traditional and assured vote bank.