By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh): It is a general feeling, and it is right, that minority education institutions particularly those run by Muslims face lot of problems when they try to get themselves recognized by the government, said speakers in a seminar on ‘Problems of Educational Institutions and Their Solution.’
The speakers said that educational institutions run by Christian missionaries do not face such troubles.
Addressing the authorities of minority educational institutions, Chairman of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI), Justice M. S. A. Suhail Siddiqui, said NCMEI has got constitutional power and cases can be resolved here without spending any money. But how pitiable it is that among the cases put before the Commission only 5% cases come from Muslim minority educational institutions whereas most of the cases happen to be related to Christian missionaries. Explaining the reason, he said one of the reasons may be the fact that Christians know the art of presenting their problems in an organized and impressive way and they benefit from it but there is almost total lack of it in minority educational institutions.
One of the commitments under the common minimum programme of the UPA government was the protection of the Fundamental Rights of Minorities under Article 30(1) of the Constitution. In keeping with the promise, a National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) has been established through an act of Parliament, says the Union HRD Ministry.
NCMEI protects the right of minority educational institutions to seek affiliation to any university of their choice, provided the relevant law under which such universities are created allow such affiliation. It also seeks to overcome problems faced by minorities in seeking no objection certificates for establishing educational institution of their choice. Disputes relating to the minority status of educational institutions are also to be resolved by the commission, says the government.
Highlighting that point, Justice Siddiqui further said if any cold treatment is given to the cases related to government recognition of minority educational institutions or any other issue or unnecessary hindrances or interferences are made, then, any minority educational institution can approach the Commission directly and the problem can be solved within stipulated time with due action against concerned officer, if needed.
He told that the Commission has restored the due rights of minority institutions in states like Maharashtra and Gujarat. Stressing on action from Muslims’ side, Justice Siddiqui said Muslims have become the victims of social isolation because of their negative thinking.