New Delhi – ‘’One should always discern and not mix up two things, one is being communal and the other is being religious’’ said the Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind – Muhammad Salim Engineer on the occasion of the launch ceremony of the book ‘’Gujarat Ke Sabak (Lessons of Gujarat)’’ by Prof Prem Singh at the Gandhi Peace Foundation Auditorium.

The Secretary General while presenting his review on the book said that: ‘’ We often confuse between being religious and being communal.  While being religious is not a bad thing, being communal is definitely not correct’’. Praising the lucid and unambiguous manner in which Prof Singh has penned the book, Janab Salim Engineer said: ‘’It is very important for civil society to be alert to the danger of communalism as the people who profess and practice the ideology of hate have assumed power and it is the duty of all those who believe in democracy, secularism and plurality to unite in their fight against the forces of hate.

Ever since we became independent there have been more than 35,000 communal riots which should actually not be called riots because they were one sided acts of violence perpetrated against the minority community’’. The program was graced by N.D Pancholi of PUCL and was presided by Justice Rajinder Sachar who said that: ‘’We should not request for our rights but demand them. This country can only progress if we guarantee and deliver safety, security and fundamental rights to the minority community’’.