Amidst the tense communal atmosphere in the country at present, two Muslim students from Mallapuram, Kerala have attracted a lot of attention, but in a very heart-warming way. Mohammed Basith M and Mohammed Jabir P K, students of Wafy course at KKHM Islamic & Arts College, Valanchery, have won an online Ramayana quiz organised by DC books, a major publisher based in Kerala, to celebrate the ‘Ramayana Month’ in Kerala.
According to the two, the Wafy syllabus they have to study gives a unique look at all the major religions of the country, which might have given them a certain edge. It includes papers on indian religions like Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism, as well as papers on religions like Christianity, Judaism, and Taoism.
The winners have said that they were familiar with the story of Ramayana from a very young age, even though they started learning about it, and Hinduism in detail only after joining the Wafy course. They have also gone through the huge collection of books in their library to understand the religion better.
“All Indians must read and learn the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata as they are part of the country’s culture, tradition and history. I believe that it is our responsibility to learn and understand these texts,” said Jabir. He also stated that he believed Lord Rama had virtues which every individual must try to imbibe within them- righteousness, forbearance, and serenity.
Jabir said that no religion promotes hatred, rather, every single one preaches of peace and harmony. All religions teach us to love and respect each other. “All religions teach us to love and respect each other. Ramayana upholds the ideals of love and peace. There are also lessons of sacrifice of power for one’s own brother, to honour the father’s word, and also of good governance”, he said.
Jabir learned about the online quiz from the Telegram group of DC Books and signed up for it. He said that apart from a quick revision, no elaborate studies were required. He has claimed that the win has motivated him even more to learn about the epic in detail.
Other winners of the quiz are Abhiram M P, Neethu Krishnan and Navneeth Gopan.
Ms Kalinga