By Justice (R) Markandey Katju (India)

On 12th October 2025, I visited the dargah of the great Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi, accompanied by my friend Salman Khurshid, senior advocate of the Supreme Court and former Indian Foreign Minister. The visit, on the saint’s urs, was not merely a pilgrimage it was a message of harmony. It symbolized that despite differences of faith, Hindus and Muslims of the Indian subcontinent are united by the age-old Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb a shared culture of love, coexistence, and mutual respect.

For the past 25 to 30 years, I have observed one day of roza during the holy month of Ramadan to reaffirm this spirit of unity. As I have written earlier in The Essence of Ramadan, such gestures are small yet meaningful steps towards reaffirming the oneness of our people.

Now, with Diwali, the festival of lights symbolizing the victory of good over evil, approaching on 20th October 2025, I appeal to Muslims, Christians, and other non-Hindus across India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh to join their Hindu brothers and sisters in celebrating it. Light one diya one small lamp outside your home as a gesture of solidarity, love, and shared humanity.

A Glorious Past of Shared Festivities

There was a time when Hindus participated in Eid and Muharram, and Muslims celebrated Holi and Diwali. The great Mughal emperors Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, and Bahadur Shah Zafar along with the Nawabs of Avadh and Murshidabad, celebrated these festivals with great enthusiasm. Diwali was known as Jashn-e-Chiraghaan, the “Festival of Lamps,” and was an occasion of joy for people of all faiths. Paintings from that era depict Muslim rulers and their families lighting lamps, a testimony to a composite culture that once defined India.

Historical records and cultural studies such as those available in Sabrang India and Homegrown recount how Muslim households illuminated their courtyards on Diwali night, embracing it as part of India’s pluralistic ethos.

The British Poison of Divide and Rule

Up to 1857, Hindus and Muslims lived as brothers and sisters. They fought side by side in the Great Mutiny of 1857, united in their struggle against British rule. It was only after the rebellion’s suppression that the British government, fearing such unity, adopted the policy of divide and rule.

Letters from the Secretary of State for India in London to the Viceroy in India, available at cyberistan.org, explicitly outlined this strategy to sow seeds of communal discord so that Indians could never again unite against colonial power. From that point onward, communal venom was slowly and systematically injected into our society—by the British, and, unfortunately, by certain forces even after 1947 that have thrived on division and hatred.

Lighting a Lamp: A Small but Powerful Antidote

When poison enters the body, doctors prescribe antidotes. The poison of communal hatred that has entered our society can similarly be neutralized through acts of unity and compassion. Lighting a lamp on Diwali by Muslims and other non-Hindus is one such antidote. It may appear small, but it carries profound symbolic power. It is a reaffirmation of our collective humanity.

Last year, in response to my appeal, students of Rehan School, Korangi Campus, Karachi, almost all of them Muslims, celebrated Diwali by lighting diyas under the guidance of their principal Altaf Educationwaala. Their act echoed history—a moment when the spirit of Diwali transcended borders and faiths. Pictures of these students and of Shahzad Ali from Allahabad and others across India who lit lamps reaffirm that our people, at heart, long for peace and togetherness.

Even the dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya itself where I recently visited with Salman Khurshid hosts Diwali celebrations every year, where Hindus and Muslims come together in prayer and song. The awazthevoice.in feature, Hindus, Muslims Herald Diwali Celebrations with Prayers at Nizamuddin Dargah, beautifully captures this shared spirituality.

An Appeal for 20th October 2025

Therefore, on 20th October, when the night of Diwali arrives, I appeal to my Muslim, Christian, and other non-Hindu brothers and sisters across the subcontinent:

Light a lamp just one diya and place it outside your home. Greet your Hindu neighbours with sweets or kind words. Send me a photograph at justicekatju@gmail.com with your name and location, if you wish. With your permission, I will post these pictures on my Facebook page as a tribute to our enduring unity.

Each lamp you light will be a flame against darkness an act of defiance against those who divide, and an embrace of the shared humanity that binds us all.

References and Related Article

• A Historical Visit with My Friend Salman Khurshid — The PhiloxThe Essence of Ramadan — Indica News My Appeal to Muslims and Christians to Celebrate Diwali — Punjab Today Diwali and the Muslim Connection — Sabrang India Indian Muslims and Diwali — Homegrown Hindus, Muslims Herald Diwali Celebrations with Prayers at Nizamuddin Dargah — Awaz The Voice Divide and Rule Policy Documents — Cyberistan.org