INDIAN MUSLIMS

thinker on the subject of India’s post-independence reconstruction. In one of his letters he writes “For our own motherland a junction of two great systems, Hinduism and Islam, is the only hope. I see in my mind’s eye the future perfect India rising out of this chaos and strife, glorious and invincible, with Vedanta brain and Islam body”. The second example is given by Mahatma Gandhi. At the juncture of the formation of the Congress government through the pages of his journal Harijan, Mahatma Gandhi advised the Congress ministers to lead simple lives. He gave them examples of the lives of the Caliphs of Islam Abu Bakr and Umar. The rulers of vast empires, they lived nevertheless like ordinary men. This appreciation of the Islamic Character shown by Swami Vivekanand and Mahatma Gandhi testifies to the ability of the Muslims to play a great part in the construction of India. In fact, the country was waiting for the Muslims to grasp the opportunity to play a decisive role and win an honourable position for themselves in the re-structuring of the nation. But the Muslims failed to fulfill these hopes. The Reasons for Failure Patience is the price of leadership. An inevitable pre-condition of assuming the role of leadership in any country or community is to bear resolutely, the provocation or injustice of others. Without this patience and forbearance, no one can with distinction wear the mantle of leadership of the world. This is an immutable law of God and to it there can be no exceptions. The Muslims failed to adopt a unilateral policy of non-confrontation on all occasions and developed a negative mentality which led to this failure. What can be done now? Islamic history abounds in instances of exemplary conduct that the general public could have benefitted greatly from having them presented in their correct historical context in a purely realistic style. Books should be prepared on these aspects of Islam which are of special relevance to contemporary issues; simplicity, modesty, trustworthiness etc., values without which no social order can be properly established. Muslims should study Islamic teachings seriously and follow the guidelines which it presents for social reconstruction. The selfIn the light of the Quranic wisdom, the true role of the press should be constructive, not expostulatory.