Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark that he had come to the inauguration of the Dawoodi Bohra community's Saifee Academy in Mumbai not as the PM but as a “family member” underlined his long association with the Shia sect, a sizeable number of whom have roots in Gujarat. Since he was the Gujarat Chief Minister, Modi has assiduously nursed those links and, at the Mumbai event, described the same as an association going back “four generations”. While the Dawoodi Bohras make up only a minuscule number of the Muslims in Gujarat, comprising 9% of the state's population and largely Sunni, the association holds huge symbolic value for Modi – and has been reciprocated in kind by the community. If, in Gujarat, they have enjoyed positions of power in government organisations, the Dawoodi Bohras – settled in around 40 countries in the world - have done their bit to stand by Modi when it mattered. For example, they were seen in large numbers at Modi's overseas events in 2014 – after he became PM – including the Madison Square Garden one in New York and the Olympic Park Arena address in Sydney. It was a significant expression of solidarity at a time when Modi was viewed as a divisive figure, denied a diplomatic visa by the US for a long time after the 2002 riots. Primarily traders and businessmen, some of whom trace their ancestry back to the Nagar Brahmins, the Dawoodi Bohras are a closely knit community. While Surat is considered their base, they are found in every part of the state. Modi had a warm relationship with the late Dai, Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, and enjoys good ties with his successor. The latter, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, was present at the Mumbai event and personally welcomed the PM. Syedna Saifuddin is also the Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University since 2015. In 2011, when he was the Gujarat CM, Modi had held a three-day 'Sadbhavana Mission' fast, purportedly to rebuild bridges with the minority community. This was after the Supreme Court directed a trial court to hear a petition by Zakia Jafri to probe his and his government's role in the Gujarat riots. The fast saw several Bohra community members in attendance in their traditional attire. Sajjad Hira, a Dawoodi Bohra and a BJP leader, who earlier headed the Gujarat Wakf Board, said several members of the community in Vadnagar, the hometown of Modi, have had ties with the PM's family for long. “When he (Modi) was in Gujarat, he interacted with the Dawoodi Bohra community and got attracted to them because of their peace-loving nature. This relationship continues till today. After the death of 52nd Dai Dr Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, Modiji continued his bonding with the current Dai, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin. The reason is that they both respect and value each other, which cannot be described in words.” Hira added: “Our community is small and scattered, and hence we are not politically strong. But we have been given respectable posts in the Wakf Board and other minority organisations. I was a member of the BJP state executive body for three years starting 2011. Two women from the Dawoodi Bohra community have been directors of the state Wakf Board.” A community official on condition of anonymity said the Dawoodi Bohras are “united by centuries-old principles, an unwavering commitment to the faith and a genuine love for the countries they live in, apart from a belief in the value of society, education, women’s empowerment, engagement with other faiths, physical health and well-being, and a responsibility to care for the environment and all creatures that dwell within it. The Bohras have always been loyal and law-abiding citizens”. Hence, the official added, they also maintain cordial relations with all governments, “with the aim of fostering harmony and goodwill”. The Bohras do not do it under any kind of pressure from religious leaders who have a good relationship with Modi, he said. During the freedom struggle, the then Syedna had hosted Mahatma Gandhi on the conclusion of his Dandi Yatra at the Saifee Villa, the only concrete structure located in the area. In 1961, on the anniversary of the Dandi March, the Syedna handed over the villa to be turned into a memorial. Close to Saifee Villa are a mosque and the tombs of the mother and sister of the first Syedna to come to India from Yemen, to establish his headquarters in the 16th century. The women were shipwrecked while on their way back from a pilgrimage to Mecca, and their bodies were washed ashore near Dandi, making it a special place for the community. Community leaders cite various examples of the warm ties between Modi and the Dawoodi Bohras. One of them, who did not want to be named, said: “It was during one of the interactions between Dr Syedna saheb and Narendra Modi (as CM), that the issue of water scarcity in Gujarat was discussed. Dr Syedna saheb suggested building check dams. This idea clicked with the CM.” The community also fondly remembers that Modi came to pay his respects to Syedna Burhanuddin when he passed away in January 2014, and returned for his first death anniversary. During the pandemic too, the PM had made time to meet family members of the Syedna in December 2020 and January 2021.
