For anyone fascinated by dargahs like yours truly, the Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Hasan Chisty dargah in Ajmer would definitely be on the radar, at some point of time in life. At the risk of repeating this fact, dargahs are typically visited by people from all cultures, religious and races. The Ajmer Dargah makes a very statement on it’s website, what is quite obviously the dargah’s mission statement, one that Khwaja Sahib carved in timeless stone.

Love towards all, malice towards none.

The Ajmer dargah - like most other dargahs - welcome every human being with the same warmth, irrespective of caste, creed or colour. It is in these premises where Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Sikhs stand shoulder-to-shoulder united seeking the blessings of a divine force. Neither room nor tolerance towards any kind of aggression. The only bond between these saints and their disciples is that of love, and nothing else.

Khwaja Sahib was believed to be a great scholar - one of the many who understood Islam to be a religion of peace and love. By being compassionate to every human being, irrespective if they are Muslim or otherwise, these saints won the hearts of many (and continue to do so) hence uniting people in ways more than one.

On the other hand are the religious extremists who are either horribly brainwashed in negativity and ‘revenge’, or use religion as a front for their political agenda.

What the blasted cowards have done today is not just bomb a dargah. They’ve attacked our unity. We can only respond by strengthening the bonds among ourselves, while filling in the gaps that extremism attempts to exploit.

There ought to be no room for racist differences in India. Maybe it’s a bold statement, but when you really do have ‘love towards all and malice towards none’, you’ve taken one mighty leap towards peace.

Peace. God knows our country needs it, as does the rest of the world.