My job entails meeting a lot of desis…Both Pakis and Indians…
I have seen, that those Hindus which have lived in Muslim populated areas like Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Calcutta e.t.c. tend to greet me with a Salam and bid adieu with a Khuda Hafiz…(Not Allah Hafiz)…
They tend to be more lively too and lot more talkative and confident…Their Urdu is almost perfect and their manners very genial…
I asked a couple of them how they knew I was Muslim, they said they can tell and that they had Muslim friends…
Whereas those from other Hindu majority cities or states tend to be rather sullen and shy…
I would exclude south Indians though…I have always found them talkative and confident, yet very humble…
I asked one guy one time if there was anyplace to pray someplace…The guy gave me a piece of cardboard, told me where to make Wuzu and told me the direction of the Qibla…I shook hands with him and Salamed him, to which he said, he was a Hindu and smiled…Found out he was raised in a Muslim community…
I thanked him and told him I still wish him peace…
I don’t know if that’s the case throughout India, but it’s just something I noted…The same was in school too…
I was with one of my Indian coworker once hooking up a server rack...the thing was heavy so I said lets begin with the lords name...next thing I know he first says Bismillah, the whole thing, and then the entire Kalma...He is Hindu. I just smiled at him and asked if he watch too many Indian movies.
I know hindus like that too...my hindu friends from childhood will greet me with a salaamz (if they remember im muslim..lol)....and i had one friend (in high school) that wouldn't eat lunch during Ramadan..because she felt bad that I was the only one at the table who wasn't eating. I thought that was sweet.
Yes alot of the hindus I have met are very open minded and always greet me by saying salam. Their are some who have a infreriority complex and have to try their best to make muslims and especially pakistanis look second rate by speaking strictly english. Even sikhs say salam. I always say sasriakal and namaste. Pakistani hindus also say salam, actually i think they are the most patriotic people I have ever met.
well i have met a muslim here in india who salute me with joined hands and said "namaste"....i answered salaam aleikoom...he was amazed!....so i guessed both ways exists, hindus greeting as muslims, and muslims greeting as hindus...
Well, the two people have lived together for a long time in peace and harmony. Also, Indian Hindus are more aware of Muslim traditions as compared to Pakistani Muslims of that of Inidan Hindus. The reason is obvious, the population of muslims in India is more than the total population in Pakistan. Pakistani Muslims' knowledge of Hindu culture is mostly from Indian movies which are not as real as the real life :)
I wish though that the mutual respect keep growing.
Part of India I come from has always been peaceful as far as HIndu-Muslim harmony went. In fact my dad used to praise muslim call to prayer in the morning (bang?). We had a large group of afghanis living in our area who treated us Hindus with courtsey and friendship unless we borrowed money from them and did not return it. Then it was bye bye knee-caps, but I don't think it had anything to do with religion. Despite constant harking on Gujerat by many guppies, large number of mulsims live in peace with non-muslims in India. In fact this harmony is well entrenched even in criminal circles. Dawood Ibrahim, Mumbai's notorious crime boss (who lives in Karachi) has and had many Hindu subordinates. Just as we wish our muslims friends salaam and khuda hafiz (please no allah hafiz for me, I have said KH for too long), many muslim friends of mine say namaste or even Jairamji ki when they are in a mood to pull leg. (Jairam ji ki is very rural). I on the other hand will say bindhass Sri Ram hafiz to my muslim friends after they have eaten goat curry and beef kebabs at my house and drunk my Glenfiddich.