By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: Teachers of unaided madrassas in West Bengal called off their strike on Friday evening after assurances from the government to look into their grievances. Over 2000 teachers from unaided madrassas had sat on strike on Wednesday under the banner of ‘Un-Aided Madrassa Banchao Committee’ in front of West Bengal Board of Madrasah Education Board in Kolkata.
Teachers of Un-aided Madrassas in WB sat on a hunger strike at the office of West Bengal Board of Madrassa Education in Kolkata
Madrassa teachers have for long been demanding recognition of their institutions and government aids. Trinamul Congress had assured recognitions to 10 thousand madrassas across the state. After coming to power, it did give recognitions to about 234 madrassas in fact, but they have not yet got any government aid.
The issue of madrassa recognition has become critical in the state. In fact, from the pulpit of one of the biggest congregation of Eid ul-Fitr prayer in Kolkata at Red Road, Qari Fazlur Rehman had demanded from the West Bengal government to act on its promises made to the minorities, even as the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was present on the occasion, later defended her government’s achievements, adding that her government has fulfilled the 97% of the development works promised.
According to Kamruzzaman of `Un aided Madrassa Banchao Committee’, applications of at least 2600 madrassas for recognitions are pending. He said that the everywhere the CM goes, she speaks about the welfare initiatives she took for minorities, but she has failed to deliver on this one promise in four years.
Former state Minister and MLA Abdur Rezzak Molla speaking on Thursday at the protest site.
In 2013 Minority Affairs and Madrassa education department of the state had issued a circular to send to the District magistrate of the all districts directing them to give mid-day meal, build additional class rooms and channelizing MP/MLA Lad funds for madrassa developments. Kamruzzaman alleged that so far not a single madrassa has got the benefit across the state.
Executive president of `Un aided Madrassa Banchao Committee’ Abdul Wahab reminded that even after getting the recognition not a single un-aided Madrassa has been allocated any fund from the MP or MLA lad, or are given other facilities like mid-day meal, uniforms, etc.
On Thursday, former Land and Land Reform Minister o the state and MLA Abdur Rezzak Molla, former Minister and MLA CPIM leader Anisur Rahman, IPS Nazrul Islam also reached the dharna site and extended their support.
Rezzak criticized the state government that only by starting to give some remunerations to the Imams and Muazzeins, TMC government cannot claim that they have fulfilled all the promises made to the minorities. He also demanded reservations for the OBC, under which most of the Bengali Muslims come, in all sectors of the government as well as in higher education. “There is long gap between the word of promise and implementation of the state government,” he said.
He urged everyone to unite before the 2016 Assembly elections. Questioning, what he termed the “biased” approach of the government, he said that the teachers of the recognised un-aided madrassas of the state should get salaries at parity with those from the aided institutions.
Minister of State Minority Affairs and Madrassa Education Department of West Bengal, Giasuddin Molla told TwoCircles.net on Friday, “Most of the demands of the madrassa teachers have been accepted and few pending demands too would be resolved soon if taken through the proper channels.”
On Friday afternoon, a delegate of `Un aided Madrassa Banchao Committee’ led by Kamruzzaman met with Principal Secretary of the Minister of Minority Affairs and Madrassa Education department of Government of West Bengal, Syed Ahmed Baba at Nabanna (CMO).
After the meeting, Kamruzzaman informed that the Principal Secretary has assured him to consider all the demands of the protesting madrassa teachers. As the CM is heading for a tour to England, the matter would be discussed with her on her return for recommendations. Mamata Banerjee has kept the portfolio of Minority Affairs and Madrassa Education department with her and Molla is a junior minister.
‘Un-Aided Madrassa Banchao Committee’ has hence called off the strike for now, but warned that if its demands are not fulfilled they will take further recourse.