By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
New Delhi: Support from madrasas is crucial for getting the Madrasa Act passed by Parliament to form a statutory central Madrasa Board, said Chairman of National Commission for Minorities’ Educational Institutions (NCMEI) Justice Suhail Ahmad Siddiqui.
He was speaking in a seminar on ‘Islamic Madrasas and Demands of Contemporary Age’ held at Jamia Ashrafiyyah on 13th May in which representatives from different Islamic madrasas took part.
Speaking on this occasion, Justice Siddiqui said religious education shows correct path and, therefore, it is very necessary to save madrasas but introduction of contemporary education into them has also become necessary because today’s world has marched far ahead. Therefore, we should prescribe such a syllabus for madrasas which could fulfill students’ religious and contemporary needs and they would be able to secure admission directly in universities after graduating from madrasas.
Justice Suhail Ahmad Siddiqui said that although the Indian Constitution has surely guaranteed fundamental rights to Muslims, the Supreme Court stopped Islamic Madrasas’ suo moto affiliation with any university through one of its verdicts in 1970 which led to the backwardness of madrasas. However, NCMEI is now striving for formation of such a Markazi Madrasa Board to which constitutional status shall be accorded and through which madrasas shall have the right of affiliation with a university.
Expressing his dismay over carelessness, indolence and laziness shown by the Muslim community, he pointed out that although the target of NCMEI is the educational development of the minorities in India, 95% of its benefits have been reaped by Christians only but the Muslim minority that is most needy is still far away from the Commission.
He pointed out that government assistance is Muslims’ right because they pay taxes and whatever is given to them as government assistance or subsidy, it is part of those taxes. He also called upon all minority institutions and appealed to them that those institutions which still do not possess minority status should procure minority institution’s certificate by approaching NCMEI. No expenses are required for this process and every government will accept the Commission’s certificate because NCMEI is a constitutional institution, he said.