In what may be seen as an outreach to Muslims and Dalits, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday recalled the contributions of Prophet Mohammad and Gautam Buddha in his Mann Ki Baat address to the nation.
Mr. Modi said the holy month of Ramzan would be a time to remember the teachings of Prophet Mohammad. “It is our responsibility to follow the path of equality and brotherhood as morals from his life. Once a person asked the Prophet [peace be upon him]: ‘Which is the best thing in Islam?’ The Prophet Saab said: ‘Feeding the poor and needy and meeting everyone cordially, whether you know him or not.’”
He said the Prophet believed in knowledge and compassion, did not possess an iota of ego and asked the people to donate to the needy what they had more than their requirement. “I wish all the citizens an auspicious month of Ramzan and I hope this opportunity will inspire people to follow the Prophet’s message of peace.”
Calling Buddha Poornima a special day, Mr. Modi said Indians should be proud that the country was the birthplace of Lord Buddha, who was “the very synonym of power of compassion, service and sacrifice, who guided millions of people around the world.” He associated the life of B.R. Ambedkar with the teachings of the Buddha.
“Lord Buddha was the fountainhead of egalitarianism, peace, harmony and brotherhood. These are human values that are most desired in the world today. Baba Saheb Dr. Ambedkar stressed that Lord Buddha had been a great inspiration in his social philosophy,” Mr. Modi said. “Baba Saheb had said: ‘My social philosophy may be said to be enshrined in three words: liberty, equality and fraternity. My philosophy has roots in religion and not in political science. I have derived them from the teaching of my master, The Buddha.’”
He said: “Baba Saheb strengthened the oppressed, exploited, deprived and crores of people standing on the brink of marginalisation through the Constitution.”
CWG success
He congratulated the country on the success of Indian sportspersons at the Commonwealth Games. “Are you aware that of the wrestlers who represented India, each one of them returned with a medal? Manika Batra won a medal in each of the events she competed in. She is the first Indian woman to win a gold in the individual table tennis category, too. Deepak Lather of Haryana became the youngest Indian weightlifter to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games,” Mr. Modi said. “Fifteen-year-old Indian shooter Anish Bhanwala became the youngest to win a gold for India. Sachin Chowdhary is the sole Indian para power lifter to win a medal at the Games.”
