Publication
Muslim-Hindu Dialogue: Issues-Queries-Arguments
This special publication on Hindu-Muslim relations is a compilation of a series of chat sessions. Such sessions, called added in Bangla, are essentially unstructured. But conversations are never really held at random to cover every subject on earth. They do cover certain topics, things that people think are important. The dangers arising from difference between various group or communities are nothing new in this world. But when we discuss how these differences are exploited politically in the interests of power lobbies, we limit our talk to the ideology and strategy of people and parties in power. Although the discussions were meant to be about both Hindus and Muslims, much more was said about the Muslim community.
Some of us though that the two religious communities, Muslim and Hindu, had been living in India side for a long time, and would continue to do so for ages to come. Yet we don’t seem to have much contact with each other; we don’t meet, converse, socialize. What little of this that exists, is in the village; in cities, none whatsoever. This absence is one reason why we know nothing about one another, or know little, and continue to misunderstand. And this gap in knowledge is what leads to mutual animosity and conflict. Based on this thinking, we decided to get together and start talking. Hindus and Muslims have all kinds of nation about each other that are wrong and half-baked. To correct these nations, we needed to sit in group, discuss, inform, argue, exchange ideas, converse. There is nothing here that was not said by anyone. Those who spoke are the creators of this dialogue. The compiler and the publisher do not necessarily agree with all the opinions expressed herein. In the course of conversation, we have even had serious doubts whether any such dialogue between communities was at all possible. Was this process in itself not an indication of covert communalism? Who was entitled to speak on behalf of his community? Wasn’t there an assumption that everyone in my community is like me; therefore my opinion is that of my whole community?
What we have here are the words that were spoken, not the manner in which they were said – the excitement, the intensity, the disagreements, question, arguments, emotions, passion, concern, effort-what we witnessed, what was expressed, none of it can be conveyed here. Those who were present may sense it perhaps. All this taken together, the thoughts of many collated between the covers, make this Muslim-Hindu dialogue something for all of us to share.
To get a copy contact HBS Delhi office.