A very senior Muslim journalist of India, who is elder to me, once told me that there had been only one real leader of Muslims in India and he died in 1964. His name was Jawaharlal Nehru.
Today, he said to me, there is only real leader of Muslims in the Indian sub continent ( including Pakistan and Bangladesh ), and his name is Markandey Katju.
I replied that I had no desire of being a leader of anyone. But certainly if any Muslim is oppressed I will raise my voice against it, just as if any Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Parsi or Jain is oppressed I will raise my voice against it. In my opinion no one should be oppressed, and everyone should be allowed to live with dignity and honour.
It is true that I have criticized what I regard as some backward practices among Muslims, just as I have criticized what I regard as some backward practices among Hindus.
But that does not mean I am anti Muslim ( or anti Hindu ).Some of my best friends are Muslims. I have repeatedly said that 99% Muslims, like 99% Hindus, are good people, and I have also repeatedly said that 99% Pakistanis, like 99% Indians, are good people.
I want to see all people in this subcontinent prosperous, and with a high standard of living , and living in amity and brotherhood
