Amidst raging protests against Bollywood stars and debates on women entering holy shrines, this Muslim girl from Karnataka quietly set an example even if unwittingly for religious tolerance in India.
Fathimath Rahila, 13, has scored the highest marks in Puttur, Dakshina Kannada district, in the Ramayana Exam conducted by the Bharat Sanskriti Pratishthan. The class 9 student from a Muslim family scored 93% in the test.
Rahila, who is a student of Sarvodaya High School, Sulliapadavu, located on the Karnataka-Kerala border, was keen on pursuing a course in the Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Rahila, whose father works in a factory, developed an interest in the Hindu epics during her previous school year. "I prepared from the beginning of the academic year with my uncle's help. And now, I want to appear for the Mahabharata exam as well," she told media.
Reportedly, students from class 8 and 9 are allowed to take the exams, but those who are giving their all important class 10 exams are discouraged from splitting their time.
