Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called upon reformers within the Muslim community to put an end to the practice of triple talaq.

Modi made a strong pitch for women’s empowerment and equal partnership, and appealed to the Muslim community against politicising the triple talaq issue.

“I would urge the Muslim community not to allow this issue (triple talaq) to go into the realm of politics,” Modi said at the inaugural function of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Basava Samithi on Basava Jayanthi. “Looking at the great tradition of India, my mind is filled with hope that powerful people will emerge from the community in this country (to) eradicate outdated practices and evolve modern systems,” the prime minister said.

“These enlightened Muslims from India hold the power to show the path to Muslims across the world. This is the strength of this land...You come forward, find solutions to the problem and the satisfaction you would get from those solutions will be different. The future generations will feel empowered,” Modi said.

The prime minister’s second intervention on the triple talaq issue comes even as the Supreme Court is set to begin from May 11 daily hearings on triple talaq.

Recently, at the BJP national executive in Bhubaneswar, Modi had asked party leaders to treat triple talaq as social exploitation of Muslim women and not as a campaign against Islam.

Modi also released a digital version of the translation of Basavanna’s selected Vachanas into 23 Indian languages, edited by noted rationalist the late M M Kalburgi, who was gunned down reportedly by fundamentalists two years ago.

Modi made it a point to walk into the audience to meet the family members of Kalburgi. Recalling Basavanna’s teachings, the prime minister said India’s history was not only about defeats, poverty, illiteracy and colonialism.

“India also gave the message of peace, good governance, non-violence and Satyagraha,” he said.
DH News Service

Second intervention within a fortnight
Urges Muslims to fight ills faced by their daughters
Asks them to set example to Muslims across the world