Dawoodi Bohras’ honesty in business an example to others, says PM Modi in Indore

The prime minister was speaking at a function organised by the community at the Saifee Mosque where its religious head, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, was present.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday praised the Dawoodi Bohra community’s reputation for integrity in trade as he listed his government’s measures to help honest business in the bid to achieve double digit growth for the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets the Dawoodi Bohra community during 'Ashura Mubarak' programme on Friday(PTI Photo)

Stressing ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or concept of the world as one family gives India an identity that is different from rest of the world, he said the Bohra community, a sect among Shia Muslims, was an example of this.

“I share a very old relationship with the Bohra community. I am grateful that the community has always showered me with love,” he said.

Highlighting their patriotism, community service and peace loving nature, he said that Bohras were spreading India’s message of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” all over the world.

He was speaking at the Ashura Mubaraka function organised by the community at Indore’s Saifee Mosque where its religious head, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, was present. As per community leaders present, Modi was the first prime minister to address Bohras during their 10-day ceremony every year to mourn the martyrdom of Prophet Mohammad’s grandson Imam Hussain.

The prime minister also said the Bohras are known for their honesty in trade and have set an example for others.

He said in the past four years, the government had made it clear that everything had to be within the ambit of the law.

“We have introduced GST (goods and service tax), made laws like the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and several others to encourage honest business,” he said, adding that the Bohra community, most of whom are in trade and commerce, were taking maximum advantage of it.

“But it’s also true that all the fingers are not equal. There are some people among us for whom cheating is the way of business,” he added.

PM Modi said that having achieved 8% growth in the last quarter, the country is now eyeing double digit growth and “despite all the challenges before us, I am confident that the way we are progressing, we will achieve it”.

He said record investment and production took place in the country in the last four years giving boost to the Make in India programme.

Announcing launching of “Swacchata hi Seva” fortnight, which will last till October 2, the birth anniversary of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, he said he would talk to those engaged in cleanliness campaign from all sections of society through videoconferencing on Saturday.

He said though Clean India campaign was started by the government, the people of the country had taken it to heart. There were toilets only in 40% houses in the country four years back but now the number had gone up to more than 90%, he added.

The PM also congratulated people of Indore and Bhopal which are the top two cities in the country on cleanliness ranking.

Pointing out the achievements of his government, Modi said that it had pledged to provide housing for all the poor in the country by 2022. “Till now we have handed over keys of their houses to 1 crore people. This is not a mere announcement, it has already happened,” he said.

He said Ayushman Bharat scheme aimed at providing health insurance of up to ₹5 lakh per year per family to 50 crore Indians in one of the most ambitious schemes ever tried out anywhere in the country.

“We are going to cover a population equal to the US, Canada and Mexico. The trial is already going on and we will launch the scheme on September 25,” he said.

The Prime Minister arrived in Indore in the morning to attend ‘Ashura Mubaraka’, during which the head of the Dawoodi Bohra community is holding a nine-day religious discourse since Wednesday.

Thousands of community members have arrived in the Madhya Pradesh city from various parts of the world to hear Syedna’s sermons. There are 2.5 lakh members who live in the state, mainly in the districts of Indore, Ujjain and Burhanpur.

Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Madhya Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel and chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan were also present during Modi’s visit ahead of the assembly polls in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh by the end of this year.