Need time to address rising intolerance: PM tells Sri M

Noted spiritual leader Mumtaz Ali Khan, popularly known as Sri M, has conveyed his concerns over rising intolerance in the country to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought his intervention to normalise the communal situation. Sri M has called on the prime minister on Friday. 

Sri M has told the prime minister that the process of “samvad” (consultation) should be initiated with all communities. In this process, everyone should be equal stakeholders, he said. 

According to the Sri M, the prime minister appreciated his views and promised to look into the suggestions made by him. “But he (PM) said he would not do anything in a haste as it would prove counter-productive,” said Sri M, who received spiritual learning from a yogi in the Himalayas. 

Talking about beef controversy, Sri M said it’s not ethical to enforce dietary habits in a democracy. “I don’t eat beef and in my family those who eat beef were not allowed to enter. But many people in Kerala, including Hindus, eat beef. It is difficult to impose things in a democracy like ours,” he said. 

Sri M said campaigns such as ghar wapsi, love jihad and cow slaughter serve any purpose. “Hindus are better off without such campaigns. There is no need to declare India a Hindu Rashtra. India is already a Hindu Rashtra. Why do you want to declare it,” he said. 

He also expressed his reservations about the word Hindutva and efforts to bring in uniformity. “Pluralism has been the hallmark of our culture. Hindu was a name given by the Arabs. Ours is Sanatana Dharma and it cannot be fitted into one straight jacket,” he said.   

A few months ago, Sri M had launched a ‘Walk of Hope’ right from Kanyakumari to Kashmir to encourage samvad in the country. “There is a dearth of dialogue in the society. Through dialogue many issues can be solved,” he opined.

On Friday, after meeting Sri M, Modi had tweeted: “Had an engrossing conversation with Sri M. He is a scholar, a spiritual power house, well versed in the Gita and Quran.”