Obama: India needs to cherish its Muslims population

India needs to cherish and nurture its Muslim population that is integrated and considers itself Indian, former US President Barack Obama said here today.

It is an idea that needs to be reinforced, the former President added.

Obama said he had emphasised the need for religious tolerance and the right to practice one’s own faith during closed-door talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his last trip to India in 2015.

“There’s a counter narrative taking place, at all times, but it’s particularly pronounced now... in Europe, US and sometimes in India where those old tribal impulses reassert themselves under leaders who try to push back and under leaders who try to exploit them,” Obama said.

-PTC News