By TCN Special Correspondent,
Ahmedabad: Chief Minister Narendra Modi, whose government has refused to implement the centre-sponsored scholarship for Muslim students, will be distributing cheques of annual scholarships to Muslim students on behalf of the Gujarat State Wakf Board.
Modi government has been sending back the central fund every year since the scheme was launched in 2005, saying that the central scheme was discriminatory as it was meant only for the students belonging to one religious community only and hence, not acceptable. The state government has to contribute 25 per cent to the minority scholarship while 75 per cent of the fund comes from the centre. But Modi seems to be having no reservation in giving financial assistance to Muslim students under a scheme to promote education by the state wakf board.
The wakf board gives scholarship to students having passed Std X and XII examinations.
While students of Std X having passed with 85 per cent marks (boys) and 80 per cent(girls) are given Rs. 3,000, those having passed XII with 85 per cent(boys) and 75 per cent(girls) are given Rs. 4,000.
According to wakf board officials, the cheques would be given to 1800 students at functions to be organized at different places like Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara in the last week of this month. Wakf board chairman A I Saiyed told an English daily that the dates for the functions were yet not finalized but it was most likely to be held in the last week of this month because by that time all the students would be free from their school and competitive examinations.
The scholarship to students is given by the wakf board in December every year, but it was postponed last year. Sources say that this was done so at the behest of political bosses to make political capital out of it as Modi is interested in improving his image and projecting himself as a well-wisher of the Muslims with a view to remove the stigma of 2002. During his `sadbhavna’ fasts in September-October 2011, he ensured that his programmes were attended by `topi’ clad Muslim men and burqa clad Muslim women to show to the world that Muslims of Gujarat were with him. However, he refused to wear the skull cap offered by a Muslim cleric at Ahmedabad fast and it sent a message to his saffron constituency that his invitation to Muslims to the fasts did not mean compromising on Hindutva.
Sources said that Modi agreeing to hand over cheques to Muslim students at wakf functions is intended to get publicity for political gains and show the world that he cared for promotion of Muslim education.