I am your family, says PM Modi to Bohra Muslims

PM says, coming here among you, feels like coming to a family. But I have a complaint. You repeatedly call me Prime Minister or Chief Minister… I am your family member, neither Prime Minister nor chief minister. I consider myself fortunate to have something that few have

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday praised the Dawoodi Bohra community, saying it had constantly adapted to changing times and kept its relevance intact. This, he said, was the sign of a progressive society, which helped in a country’s development.

Mumbai, Feb 10 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Dawoodi Bohra community's head, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin tries his hands at making a chapati during the inauguration of the new campus of Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah, in Mumbai on Friday. (ANI Photo) (ANI Picture Service)

While inaugurating the new Marol campus of the Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah Arabic Academy, a prominent educational institution of the community, Modi said he was like a family member of the Bohra community and had good relations with the Sydena’s family for the last 50 years. “Coming here among you, feels like coming to a family. But I have a complaint. You repeatedly call me Prime Minister or Chief Minister… I am your family member, neither Prime Minister nor chief minister. I consider myself fortunate to have something that few have. I have been connected to this family (of Syedna) for their 4 generations and they all have come to my house,” he said.

Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the head of the Dawoodi Bohra community, welcomed the PM in the presence of hundreds of community members. Lauding the Bohra community for its continuous efforts to upgrade the curriculum in its educational institutions, Modi said that the community’s empowerment of women through education inspired others in society. “Development and legacy are both important for the country as well as the diverse ideologies that have been the prime speciality of this country,” he said. “We have been marching forward on the path of development by blending tradition and modernity. We need the contribution of all faiths in this.”

Modi’s visit comes at a time when his party is aiming to win the Mumbai civic elections and reaching out to various communities, including the minorities.

The PM said that Ancient India, with its universities such as Nalanda and Takshashila, was once the centre of learning for students from across the globe. “To bring that glory back, we have to upgrade our educational system,” he remarked. “In the last eight years, we have been emphasising on modern education. Our government aims to open medical colleges in every district and we have been opening one University and two colleges every week.”

Despite the nod to modern education, however, Modi criticised English as the medium of instruction, saying that the country, because of an “inferiority complex” had been compelled to continue with English even after Independence. “The downtrodden and poor were lagging behind because of the language barrier,” he said, adding that his government had therefore started engineering and medical education in local languages.

Modi, remarking on the Bohras being a successful mercantile community, brought in his government’s efforts on this score. “We have brought historic improvement in the ease of doing business by abolishing 40,000 compliances and decriminalising hundreds of provisions,” he claimed.

Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the 53rd al-Dai al-Mutlaq and head of the global Dawoodi Bohra community, said, “India has been our home for centuries, and we are at peace here. I prayed that every child in the nation and across the world receives a beneficial education and the opportunity to grow and flourish.”

The function was attended by chief minister Eknath Shinde, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Mumbai suburban guardian minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha among others.