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PiotrKłodkowski
ASymbolicGesturebythePrimeMinister
On17September2011,thethen-chiefministerofGujaratandpresent
IndianPrimeMinisterNarendraModiorganisedaSadbhavna(“Peaceand
Tolerance”)Missionwiththegoalofpromotingcommunalharmonyinthat
partofthecountry.TheeventwasheldinAhmedabad,inGujaratUniversity’s
ConventionHall.
There,hewasapproachedbyImamShahiSaiyed,representingthe
MuslimcommunityinthesmallvillageofPirane,who,justasotherreligious
representativesbeforehim,wantedtopayhomageandpresentedModiwith
asymbolicgift,adecoratedskullcapwornbylocalMuslims.Obviously
thecaphaditsmeaning,justasotherheadgearwornbymembersofvarious
religiousorethnicgroups.Andpreviously,Modihadbeenseenatpublic
events—andhadbeenphotographed—wearingvariouscaps,hats,and
turbans.Thistime,though,herefused,unwillingtoaccepttheskullcapfrom
theimamwhichhewouldbeexpectedtoputonforashorttime,percustom.
Hesaidhewouldacceptashawl,butnottheskullcap.Thesurprisedimam,
asregisteredbycameras,spokeemotionallytoagroupofjournalistspresent
attheevent,arguingthattherefusalwas“notaninsultofmebutaninsult
ofIslam.”2
Theapparentlyminorincidentwaspublicisednationallyondozensof
TVchannelsandinnumerouspresscommentaries.Accusationsofintolerance
towardsMuslimswerehurledandneedlesslystirredasmouldering
communalconflict.ThestrongestcriticismcamefromtheIndianNational
Congress,theoldestandnominallysecularparty(establishedin1885)which
ruledthecountryforseveraldecades.Modiwasdefendedbyadherentsof
theBharatiyaJanataParty(BJP),whichthreeyearslater,in2014,decisively
wonthenationalparliamentaryelections.Thecontextofwhathappened
wasnotlostonboththewatchersoftheIndianpoliticalsceneandits
participants.SadbhavnaMissionwastoserveasaformofpublicatonement
forGujarat’sbloodyriotsof10yearsprior,whichsomedescribedasan
“anti-Muslimpogrom”andothers,usingconciliatoryifnotquiteaccurate
language,asthemostdramaticeventforthefollowersofHinduismandIslam,
2
See:“RefusingtoWearSkullCapInsulttoIslam:Imam,”TheEconomicTimes(Mumbai
Edition),20September2011,p.2.
8
ThePolishQuarterlyofInternationalAffairs,2017,no.1
