PRUDENT STRATEGY

Merchants don’t just start a business and then sit back, assuming it’s now others’ responsibility to come and buy whatever they wish. Instead, they take additional steps to promote their trade, continuously working to develop and expand it.

One common approach is selling products at a discounted rate. For example, a person might start a biweekly magazine priced at ten rupees per issue, but for a limited time, he will offer it for only two rupees. This reduced price is known as an introductory offer. Similarly, when someone opens a store, he may initially sell an item worth one hundred rupees for just seventy-five. This is known as a launch discount.

This principle is not limited to commerce; it applies to all collective matters. Whenever you want to build relationships, influence a group, or bring others closer, you must follow the same approach. In this world, you can only earn a place among people by making concessions.

In India, for various historical and non-historical reasons, relations between Hindus and Muslims have become strained, and Muslims have borne the brunt of this tension. The only practical way to improve relations between the two communities is for Muslims to take the initiative—using the same approach that, in business, is called an introductory price or an inaugural discount.

This isn’t about weakness or submission; it’s about wise strategy. In personal dealings, everyone naturally uses this approach. What we need now is to apply the same wisdom to community matters. No other method can solve the current problem.