Don’t give up secular credentials

Obama reminds Modi govt of its obligation to uphold Constitution

New Delhi: US President Barack Obama on Tuesday advised the Indians to protect religious freedom and ensure that the country is not splintered on the religious lines. Addressing around 2,000 youth at the Siri Fort auditorium, he said, “Your Article 25 says that all people are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practise and propagate religion.”

He emphasised that the government of the day had the obligation to uphold the people’s freedom vis-à-vis religion.” Since the BJP-led government came to power at the Centre, there have been reports of religious conversions at the behest of Sangh Pariwar outfits in northern India under ‘ghar wapsi’ (asking Muslims to re-return to Hinduism) and also provocative statements by BJP leaders.

Obama was born to a Muslim father from Kenya in Africa and to a white American mother of Christian faith. He is the first US President from black community. The US President stressed the need to protect women in the country, obviously referring to frequent reports of incidents of rape and abuse of women.

He said that he was delighted to get the Guard of Honour led by a woman officer, Puja Thakur, on his first day of his tour. In his 40-minute speech he referred to Swami Vivekananda, the importance of India and the US forging friendship and also to the popular line in the movie Dilwaale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge – ‘Senorita, bade bade deshom mein…you know what I mean’.

By:Kovuuri G Reddy