Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Dawoodi Bohra community’s Arabic Academy in Mumbai.
| Photo Credit: Abinay Deshpande

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 10, 2023 inaugurated Dawoodi Bohra community’s Arabic Academy at Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah (The Saifee Academy) in Mumbai.

After the inauguration, Mr. Modi was walking around the campus with His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the 53rd al-Dai al-Mutlaq and present leader of the worldwide Dawoodi Bohra community, one of the influential communities in the country’s financial capital.

“I’m not here as Prime Minister, but as part of the family. Visiting you is like visiting my family. Please don’t refer to me as PM or CM. I’m your family member,” he said while addressing the community members.

“Our association goes a long way. Four generations of Syedna sahab’s family have blessed me, and he (His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin) has fulfilled a 150-year-old dream by setting up this institute in Mumbai (outside Gujarat),” the Prime Minister said.

Hailing the contribution of the community to social welfare initiatives, Mr. Modi said that from fighting malnutrition to the water crisis in Gujarat their contribution is unforgettable.

“When I was Chief Minister of Gujarat, I worked closely with the community in fighting malnutrition and water crisis,” he said.

Earlier, His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, spoke of the decades-old friendship and bond between the Prime Minister and his respected father Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin. He thanked the Prime Minister for his numerous initiatives for the betterment of the nation, remarking specifically on his presidency of the G20.

“India has been our home for centuries, and we are at peace here,” he said.