An attempt to unite Imams and Pandits

RSS' meetings with Muslim intellectuals are being held since the time of the fifth chief of the RSS, KS Sudarshan

- VIJAY DARDA

Everybody was in the dark about RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's outreach meeting with prominent Muslim intellectuals in Delhi's Jhandewalan area last month until it became known recently. Prominent among those who attended that meeting were former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi, former lieutenant governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung, former vice-chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University and former army officer Zameer Uddin Shah, former parliamentarian and journalist Shahid Siddiqui and businessman Saeed Shervani.

Interestingly, the day the news of that meeting became public through the media after one month, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat visited a mosque off Kasturba Gandhi Marg near India Gate. He had gone there at the invitation of Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, the head of the All India Imam Organisation and the two talked in private for about 40 minutes.

Subsequently, the RSS chief visited Tajweedul Quran Madarsa and interacted with the children there. According to some reports, Imam Ilyasi described the RSS chief as the 'Rashtrapita' or the father of the nation and 'Rashtrarishi' i.e. the sage of the nation in presence of the children. However, later he said that people have not understood his point properly. In reply, Bhagwatji said with humility that we are all children of the nation. Mohan Bhagwatji is indeed a person with liberal views. His thinking is progressive. He has also brought about several changes within the RSS organisation.