Union Budget: Fund for Madrasa modernisation programme must be used prudently
UPA in the interim Budget (2014-15) had allocated Rs 3,711 crore to the Ministry of Minority Affairs. Similarly the figure was Rs 3,111 crore in the fiscal year 2013-14.
Sachar committee had said community was lagging behind in modern education
Earlier,
highlighting
Government
agenda
President
Pranab
Mukherjee
had
said,
"It
is
unfortunate
that
even
after
several
decades
of
independence,
sections
of
minority
communities
continue
to
suffer
from
poverty,
as
benefits
of
government
schemes
do
not
reach
them."
"My
government
is
committed
to
making
all
minorities' equal
partners
in
India's
progress.
The
government
will
especially
strengthen
measures
to
spread
modern
and
technical
education
among
minority
communities
and
a
National
Madrassa
Modernization
Programme
will
be
initiated,"
he
said
while
addressing
joint
Session
of
Parliament
in
June
2014.
BJP
in
its
manifesto
had
also
said,
"The
party
is
committed
to
ensure
that
all
the
communities
are
equal
partners
in
India's
progress."
Historical
aspect
NDA
Government
(1999-2004)
had
started
similar
programme
named
Area
Intensive
Madrassa
Modernisation
Programmme
(AIMMP)
to
make
community
better
in
terms
of
education
but
over
the
years
things
changed
a
little.
Similarly
UPA-1
and
UPA-2
also
tried
to
push
the
programme
but
failed
due
to
stiff
resistance
from
various
Muslim
leaders
and
clerics.
Even
our
first
Minister
for
Education
of
Independent
India,
Maulana
Abul
Kalam
Azad
had
tried
his
best
in
this
direction
but
he
was
out
rightly
opposed
by
orthodox
Muslim
leaders.
He
had
planned
to
establish
an
all
India
madrasa
board
which
could
have
stabilised
the
religious
education
with
a
proper
scale
for
teachers
and
a
proper
examination
for
students
but
that
couldn't
be
materialised
because
some
of
the
leaders
like
Mufti
Atiq-ur-Rehman
Usmani,
Maulana
Shibli
Nomani
and
Maulana
Hifz-ur-Rehman
were
dead
against
it.
Muslims
dismal
record
on
educational
front
Education
Reforms
for
this
community
are
imminent
because
they
are
not
at
par
with
others
in
terms
of
literacy
and
their
socio-economic
position.
Even
Sachar
committee
had
underscored
this
point
in
its
2006
recommendations.
The
committee
had
said
the
community
was
lagging
behind
in
modern
education
and
hence
deprived
of
Government
jobs.
According
to
a
recent
report,
Literacy
rates
among
this
community
are
41.27
per
cent
against
the
national
rate
of
63.07
per
cent.
Even
worse
is,
women
of
this
community
have
just
21.66
per
cent
literacy
rate
as
against
the
40.54
per
cent
amongst
the
non-Muslim
women.
Moreover,
their
(Muslim)
contribution
in
Government
jobs
is
only
two
per
cent.
Similar
is
their
position
in
various
IAS
and
IPS
services.
UPA's
pathetic
record
Although
UPA
claims
that
they
cared
the
most
for
this
community
but
recent
reports
have
exposed
them
completely.
According
to
a
Times
of
India
report,
Muslims'
representation
in
police
forces
during
10-years
of
UPA
dwindled
down.
In
2013,
it
touched
a
new
low
of
6.2%.
The
figure
was
6.5
%(
2012),
6.52
%(
2011)
and
6.9%
(2010)
during
UPA
rule
and
the
record
was
better
in
2001(8.3%)
during
NDA
rule.
Recently,
Leading
Islamic
seminary
Darul
Uloom
Deoband
had
vociferously
opposed
this
move
of
Modi
government
giving
the
reason
that
they
must
have
clear
cut
plan
on
this.
"It is not clear what the government wants to do... It should come out with detailed policy and tell which madrassas will be brought under its ambit," said Mufti Abdul Qasim Noamani, Darul Uloom Deoband rector. Government should make the roadmap clear on this front. They should inform how the fund will be spent and what will be done under the modernization programme. However, experts have slammed this move of clerics.
"These
politico-religious
organisations
are
dangerous
not
only
for
the
community
but
also
the
nation.
Instead
of
encouraging
youth
to
become
progressive,
they
are
pushing
the
community
into
darkness.
These
groups
are
failing
to
understand
the
urgency
of
moving
with
time.
Organisations
like
Deoband
or
any
other
school
of
religious
thought
has
to
learn
to
keep
pace
with
time
and
welcome
changes.
Unfortunately,
they
see
the
community
as
their
vote-bank",
Qamar
Agha,
an
expert
on
Islamic
studies
and
West
Asian
issues
said.
Time
has
come
Muslims
should
welcome
this
reformatory
education
system.
Keeping
narrow
mindset
aside
they
should
work
towards
the
betterment
of
the
community.