By Abu Zafar, TwoCircles.net,
Jaipur: Rajasthan’s capital city Jaipur witnessed important steps toward Muslims education in India at two-day All India Muslim Educational Conference here on Saturday. Thousands gathered from 15 states of the country. The conference titled as ‘Iqra-2012’was organized by the All India Educational Society.
The first day of the conference on Saturday was attended by Justice Rajinder Sachar, Justice Suhail Ejaz Siddiqui, Chairman, National Commission for Minorities Educational Institutions, Wajahat Habeebullah, Chairman National Minority Commission and the first woman Supreme Court Judge Justice M. Fathima Beevi, Brij Kishore Sharma, Education Minister of Rajashtan and Naseem Akhtar Insaf, State Minister for Education in Rajasthan.
Justice M. Fathima Beevi of Supreme Court
Importantly, there was a session exclusive for only the women who are associated with education in Rajashtan and other parts of the country. In this session women education activists explained their problems they face working in the field of educations.
Addressing the participants Ms Fathima said: “This is a great and significant beginning and all right thinking people should support this effort.”
“The most important thing is they are focusing on women education and to educate a girl child means to educate whole family,” she further said.
“We have a significant history and we need latest technology with modern trend,” she added.
Former Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court Rajinder Sachar said “Muslims are blamed that they are not much keen toward education but for the religion whose first word starts with ‘Iqra’ which means read, how anyone can say that they are not interested in education.”
Justice Rajinder Sachar
Discussing the problems which have been faced by Indian Muslims he said “No country can claim civilized itself unless it protects its minorities and gives equal opportunities for progress.”
According to him the major problem with our educational system is there is lack or diversity. “We need cultural diversity to improve our educational system,” he said.
“University Grants Commission should give special grant to those institutions that have cultural diversity inside their campus,” he argued.
He also encouraged Muslims for continuous demands to the government for their rights.
“If you depend on government nothing is going to happen. You have to force them to do something.”
“We should not think that the government is our lord. They do if they want and don’t if they don’t want, there are no accountability. We have right to ask as to what you have done for us,” Sachar elaborated.
He also discussed the communal problems in the country.
“It is true that there are communal feelings but Muslims are not foreigner in India. They have same rights like others. If anyone talks about ‘Hindu Rashtra’ or one community nation, he/she will destroy it because the country is not made for a single community.”
Moosa Raza, former I.A.S. officer who served as principal secretary to the chief minister of Gujarat and chief secretary of Jammu & Kashmir said that “It is time our young generation stood up against the devil of illiteracy and ignorance.”
Justice Fakhruddin, former Judge, Madhya Pradesh High Court, addressing the conference
Justice Fakhruddin, former Judge of Madhya Pradesh High Court pointed out the barriers in the way of progress and education.
“When we focus on development and education then our minds are diverted with emotional issues like Salman Rushdie, feeling of insecurity and communal riots,” he said.
Dr. P. A. Fazal Ghafoor, president of AIMES, Kerala explained the society’s experiences and experiments in Kerala.
According to Ghafoor, Kerala Muslims have more opportunity than others across the country.
“We are having reservation from pre independence. In 1964, when AIMES was constituted there is a revolution in the field of education in Kerala.”
“Now we have 26 colleges in Kerala including medical, engineering and management. The total number of students is around one lakh, which is more than the total number of students in Aligarh Muslim University,” he claimed.
“Out of one lakh students 65 percent are Muslims and interestingly more than 50 percent are girl students,” he further said.
He also announced that if Rajashtani Muslims agree to build any such kind of institution here then AIMES will donate half of the amount.
“You have chance and chance is like a shining sun. If you see it then there is dawn; if you don’t then there is dark,” he concluded.
Peerpasha Husaini Ab. Razak Inamdar known as P A Inamdar from Azam Campus, Pune asserted to adopt modern technology to bridge the gaps in educational system.
“There are certain gaps in our educational system; we have to bridge them with modern technology,” he said.
“We have to focus on value added courses since beginning not after completing 10+2,” he added.
He also announced a donation of Rs 50 lakh to build an institution in Rajashtan.
Justice Suhail Ejaz Siddiqui
Justice Suhail Ejaz Siddiqui, Chairman, National Commission for Minorities Educational Institutions, said that “The minority tag has given a complex of problems to us. Sometimes we think that we are living as second grade citizen here. We should say that we are second most majority not minority and it is a true fact.”
“Asking for minority character for our institutions is our right no one can deny it and you don’t need to spend money for it,” he informed.
“The way of progress and development goes through education; the time has come for an educational revolution,” he pointed out.
Wajahat Habeebullah
Wajaht Habeebulla, Chairman, National Minority Commission, focused on problems of Muslim community in the field of education.
On the second and final day (6th May), Chief Minister of Rajashtan Ashok Gehlot, Union Minister of Law and Minority Affairs Salman Khurshid, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh are addressing the audience.