Manage Differences through Tolerance

was accompanied by a member of the RSS who was highly educated and counted among the intellectuals. We shared the room. We both used to wake up at dawn. One day, I asked him a question when he woke up after sleeping while sitting on the bed. I asked, “Tell me, what do you want from Muslims? What should Muslims do so that your complaints against them get resolved? Do you want Muslims to adjust to Hindus unilaterally in this country?” He immediately replied, “No, Maulana Sahib, it’s not like that. We want Muslims to become equal citizens. We only want one thing from our Muslim brothers: that they consider this country as their own.” These were the words of a person who holds a high position in the organization. During the conference, everyone was free to express their thoughts openly. I give here some excerpts from the discussions there. Swami Agnivesh said, “It seems to me that people have fixed notions. People already believe that if someone is a Muslim, then he will be like this, and if he is a Hindu, then he will be like that. We need to change this way of thinking. Otherwise, nation-building cannot be successful.” One gentleman said that today, political figures determine the country’s agenda. This is a matter of concern. The country cannot be handed over to the political interests of a few individuals. A Hindu youth said, “The country is being led astray. Chaos is being created. We must stand against this. Otherwise, the country will be ruined.”