By Zaidul Haque,TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata : In West Bengal 1.4 crore Muslims will be covered under reservation. The decision will be taken by the state Cabinet before the coming Assembly session on 22nd September 2010,
announced Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya while inaugurating second Hajj House in Kolkata on August 29.
He agreed with the recommendations of Ranganath Mishra Commission, saying “If Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes can come under reservation, why not the Muslim Minority?”The Chief Minister further said: “We have been discussing for long as to how we should give reservation to poor Muslims in West Bengal. After Ranganath Mishra report came to us, the reservation process has become easy. Then State Govt started to necessary steps for reservation.” He admitted the government has been very late in taking the decision but now the Muslim reservation must be implemented first.
Some Muslim populated areas in the State are most backward. They should have right to get privilege like other communities, said the CM adding Muslim youth should come to get modern education.
“There are 600 Govt aided Madrasad in WB and another 300 madrasad will be sanctioned. Only
religious education is not enough. Besides Islamic theology, Mathematics and English will also be introduced at these madrasas,” the CM said adding 12 English medium Madrasas have already been established in Krishnanagar of Nadia District.
The second Hajj House, which is seven storied, is located at Kaikhali, VIP Road near Netaji
International Airport. This was inaugurated by Chief Minister for Hajj pilgrims. The Rs 10-crore
Haj House is the second of its kind in the state after the one situated near Park Circus in the city,which made West Bengal the only state to have two Haj Houses for the benefit of Haj pilgrims.
The CM said there was need for this facility to cater to the growing number of Haj pilgrims in
the state. While 1,410 pilgrims went to Haj in 1985, the number rose to 10,272 in 2010.
Built by the state government’s PWD department, the G-plus-seven-storeyed building can
accommodate pilgrims for three months during the pilgrimage to Mecca. During the remaining nine months, minority people would be given vocational training there by the Aliah University,he said.
He also said, new campus of Aliah University will be established in Bhangar of South 24 Parganas district and process has been started for that. Aliah University is run by the Minority Affairs & Madrasa Department of West Bengal.
In this inauguration program Buddhadev Bhattacharya was felicitated by the state Hajj
Committee. State Minority Affairs & Madrasa Education Minister Abdus Sattar and Vice- Chancellor of Aliah University Dr Syed Samsul Alam was present at the occasion.