It sounds strange to hear but it is true. In an exhibition of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a picture of Pakistan’s founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah has been put up among 200 people who had any connection with Gujarat. Sangh’s All India Representative Meet is going to be held in Pirana village of Ahmedabad. Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat himself is also going to participate in the program to be held from March 11 to 13. JP Nadda also has to come in this.
The exhibition showcases 200 people who left their mark and were associated with Gujarat. These include Gandhiji with Dadabhai Narouji, Dhirubhai Ambani, Ratan Tata, Verghese Kurien and Congress leader Sam Pitroda. It also includes photos of personalities like Aziz Premji, Vinod Mankad, Parveen Babi, Sanjeev Kumar and Dimple Kapadia along with stalwarts like Vikram Sarabhai.
The program is being organized by the Gujarat unit of the Sangh. More than 12 thousand people are expected to participate in it. According to the caption written below Jinnah’s photo – a barrister who was a patriot earlier but later got the country divided on the basis of religion.
Keep in mind that the book written by BJP leader Jaswant Singh on Jinnah was banned by the Gujarat government. In 2005, when LK Advani visited Jinnah’s tomb during his tour of Pakistan as Deputy Prime Minister and called him great, he was also criticized from all sides.
Event coordinator Shirish Kashikar says that we have put photos of those people who worked for the country in the exhibition. On Jinnah’s photo, he said that the organization of the Sangh does not mean that only those who are associated with our ideology should be included in the exhibition.
According to a report Jinnah was born in a Hindu family. His roots were associated with Gujarat and he belonged to the Lohna caste. The society had boycotted his family because of the fish business. Then Jinnah’s father converted to Muslim religion and also changed the names of his four sons.
Jinnah’s family was mainly from the village of Paneli in Kathiawar, Gujarat. His grandfather’s name was Premjibhai Meghji Thakkar. Society did not accept them and excommunicated them because of the fish trade. Jinnah’s father Punjalal Thakkar then decided to change his religion and converted to Muslim religion.