Religious leaders appeal for communal harmony

VADODARA: Worried about provocative images and text messages leading to communal tension, the city police commissioner met prominent religious and community leaders on Sunday. Commissioner E Radhakrishnan met the leaders and discussed ways of maintaining peace and harmony in the city. Prominent leaders of both Muslim and Hindu community turned up at the meet on the eve of Bakri Eid that will be celebrated on Monday.
Members of the Muslim community have also prepared pamphlets appealing people to not forward provocative images or text messages. The pamphlets will be distributed from Monday. "The meeting was organized to discuss ways of preventing communal tensions caused due to circulating of provocative images and texts on social media websites and chatting applications. The police discussed misuse of social media and how community leaders can play an important role in maintaining harmony," Lalabhai Shyamwala, a community leader said.
K K Shastri, priest of Wadi Rangmahal Swaminarayan Mandir said, "Mostly all Hindus and Muslims live in harmony. It is only few miscreants that create trouble and cause riots. We as community leaders have responsibility of reigning in such miscreants and use our influence over the community to ensure peace. It is the poor who suffers the most during riots."
About 25 community and religious leaders including Dwarkeshlalji Maharaj, Ramdas Swami of ISKCON Temple, Maulana Rafiqsahab Badodevi, Mufti Imransaheb, Dr Shabbir Nanderwala and many others were present during the meeting. "We enlightened the community and religious leaders about misuse of social media and how it can be curbed. The prominent leaders wield influence over their communities and can help us in preventing untoward incidents. They have agreed to appeal for peace in their community," Radhakrishnan said.
"Anyone getting provocative images or messages should immediately delete it from their mobile phones or social networking sites. Forwarding provocative images is a crime. Also, citizens are request to not take law in their hands. Any untoward incident should be reported to the police," he added.
Communal riots rocked the city on September 25 after a tuition teacher uploaded morphed image of a religious shrine on FaceBook. The riots continued for four days, leaving many persons injured and causing losses to businessmen.