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After the religious riots incited by some Muslim criminals in 1932, the
relationship between the Hindus and the Muslims was charged with anger and
hatred. In this context, P.P.Doctorjee received many threatening letters,
sent by anonymous writers. One such letter threatened P.P.Doctorjee in these
words: “Rest assured that we will hang your head, severed from your body,
from the arch of the “Shukrawaar Darwaaja” (a public, well-known arch, in a
major thorough fare in Nagpur city in 1932) on or before Ganesha Chaturthi (a
well-known Hindu festival celebrated in public)”.
Naturally, all of P.P.Doctorjee’s friends were afraid for his life. Knowing
that he would go anywhere fearlessly at any time of the day or right, they
kept a watch on him round the clock. Some
well-wishers suggested that P.P.Doctorjee should accept some
out-of-town invitations, and go away for at least a few days during the
Ganesha Chaturthi festival days.
P.P.Doctorjee as usual, was undaunted. He took the challenge with a smile in
his stride; and did all his daily
work without a change of routine. He stayed in Nagpur throughout.
Within few days he accepted an invitation for the Ganesha Chaturthi
festival’s concluding public speech at Murtijapur city, some distance away
from Nagpur. It was a public speech, and people from all communities and
religions were in the audience. After a 90-minutes speech which held the audience spellbound, P.P.Doctorjee received
a standing ovation. At the conclusion of the function, a scuffle broke out as
a young Muslim man from the audience tried to push others to rush to
P.P.Doctorjee. Knowing the background, the organizers firmly held the youth
back. P.P.Doctorjee walked to him and requested that he should be released.
He at once came close to P.P.Doctorjee and respectfully bowed down to him (in
Saashtanga Namaskaar). He said: “I thought that you were an ardent, staunch
hater of Muslims, and that in your speech today, your would preach this
hatred to your audience. After listening to you, I have fully accepted that
Bharat is a Hindu Rashtra. My opinion has completely changed. I am feeling so
much guilty and ashamed of my previous Muslim formed opinions that I cannot
even properly apologize to you. Please forgive me”. P.P.Doctorjee helped him
up and embraced him.
Perhaps the psuedo-secularist detractors of Sangha should take a lesson from
this honest Muslim youth!
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