Translate Gita into Urdu: Muslim scholar

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, December 6

Maulana Kokab Mujtaba, a Muslim scholar, today said there was a need to translate the Bhagavad Gita into Urdu to dispel misconceptions among the minority community about the scripture.

In his inaugural address at a seminar on ‘Bhagavad Gita: Holistic Life Management and World Heritage Tourism’, Mujtaba said the Gita was a messenger of commitment and dutifulness. He said the Gita did not belong to any particular faith but spoke about universal brotherhood. People from various communities and faiths should read the Gita for peaceful co-existence.

“There are numerous misunderstandings among the Muslim society about the Gita. There is a need to make available the Urdu translation of the holy text among the Muslim society. Promotion of its teachings will help in bridging gaps among communities,” he said.

Mujtaba is national convener of the Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) organisation.

The four-day seminar is being organised to mark the International GitaMahotsav-2016 at Kurukshetra University.

Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and a battery of state ministers and scholars from India and abroad were present at the function.

On the occasion, Bhai Satpal Singh of Ramdas Mission, a Sikh scholar from the USA, said the Gita was accepted as the world’s oldest scripture with human values. The CM said some of the leading universities, including the Harvard University, and several corporate houses had adopted the Gita as a tool for stress management and quality enhancement. “We are committed to promote it for universalism,” said Khattar.

In his presidential remarks, the Governor said the Gita contained the principles for leading a holistic life, which could lead to contentment and a balance between the material and spiritual successes.