By Abdul Hameed, TwoCircles.net
Mumbai: The Maharashtra state government yesterday held a meeting of representatives of madrasas and minority-run modern educational institutions in the state to discuss the proposal of madrasa board in Mantaralya but they could not reach consensus.
The majority of the hundreds of the participants called the ‘madrasa board’ as interference in their system and said that it was intolerable for them while some of them supported the idea with some conditions. They demanded that if the government had prepared the madrasa board scheme then it should explain it to the people concerned to madrasas.
They expressed surprise over the government insisting on helping madrasas only through changing the syllabus while it can assist them in terms of water, electricity and grains etc.
Maulana Ghulam Muhammad Wastanvi who runs many madrasas and some modern institutions too said, ‘The establishment of madrasa board is not acceptable. Prior to taking any decision in this concern the government should form a committee of ulama.’
Since the government is taking interest in 4% madrasa going students instead of the rest 96% Muslim students, Maulana Mahmood Daryabadi smell something insincerity in the government’s intention. He also asked whether there was any difference between the central madrasa board and state madrasa board as ‘there is difference in their drafts’.
Anees Chishtee from Pune, however, said since the government has resolved to form the madrasa board they demanded that it should be educational and examination board. ‘We should support the government on madrasa board issue and show activeness in this regard or the government will form any kind of board.’
The member of the Mahmoodur Rahman committee Satish Tirpathi advised that an 11-member committee comprising responsible ones from madrasas and modern institutions should be formed which will examine the madrasas in Maharashtra and all madrasa boards in other states. Then it will submit its report as to how much beneficial or harmful the madrasa board is.
Dr. Mahmoodur Rahman, minority affairs minister Haji Anees Ahmad, chairman of minority commission Naseem Siddiqee. Mufti Muhammad Ismail, Mustaqeem Ahsan Azmi, Hafiz Athar, Mufti Huzaifa and Hafiz Nadeem too were present on the occasion and expressed their opinions.
The meeting was called by SETU Charitable Trust, the NGO founded by Satish Tirpathi, former Additional Chief Secretary, and coordinated by Dr. Mehmoodur Rehman, chairman of the special committee for minorities constituted by Government of Maharashtra.