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Congress raises fingers at Uttarakhand govt over number of non-Muslim students in madrasas | Political Pulse News
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The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has taken objection to a report by the Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board showing that nearly 10% of the 7,399 students studying in the 30 madrasas across the state are non-Muslims.
The NCPCR wants the Minority Welfare Department to clarify why these children are not registered in “schools” under the Right to Education Act, saying that madrasas are not considered one within the framework of the Act. The Principal Secretary of the Minority Welfare Department has been asked to appear before the commission on Thursday.
Uttarakhand Congress chief spokesperson Garima Mehra Dasauni said non-Muslim families sending their children to madrasas instead of government schools puts a big question mark on the Uttarakhand government and its education system. “If non-Muslims have to send their children to study in madrasas, it is time for the Uttarakhand government to introspect,” said Dasauni, adding that the NCPCR should also summon the Education Minister.
BJP state media in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan said Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is seized of the matter and that efforts will be made to get these children admitted in government schools. “The circumstances under which these children took admission in these schools is a matter of investigation. But the government is conscious of this and many fraudulently run madrasas have been closed. Investigation is underway into many others,” Chauhan said.
The data of non-Muslims in madrasas was compiled as part of an earlier directive by the NCPCR to the Waqf Board to put together the number of all government-aided (Islamic) seminaries where Hindu children were enrolled.
Earlier, the Uttarakhand Waqf Board, which is the second government body under which education in madrasas is provided, had announced “modernisation” of madrasas with implementation of the NCERT syllabus, including scientific learning apart from Islamic studies, and better infrastructure. Last year, a decision was also taken to have a uniform dress code in registered madrasas, as well as classes from 8 am to 2 pm like at other schools.
Waqf Board Chairman Shadab Shams, who is a BJP member and was appointed to the post in September last year, said they would also introduce Sanskrit in madrasas registered with it, and that a committee would be formed by the state government to survey all the madrasas in Uttarakhand.
Inviting Hindu priests to help with Sanskrit teaching, Shams said they could also adopt poor madrasas. “This would decrease the gap between the two religions,” he said, adding that since Uttarakhand was Devbhoomi, “we should follow the culture”.
The modernisation of the madrasas, Shams said, would encourage Hindu students to study there. He said that the process of modernisation would begin from the next academic session, with development of four madrasas to begin with.
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The state government-run Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board, which also regulates madrasas, said non-Muslim children came to their institutes by their own volition.
Talking to The Indian Express over the controversy, Shams said what needed to be seen was what was the education being given in these madrasas. “The Madrasa Board has a decided syllabus and every important subject is taught there. If that is the case in these madrasas, and it’s not just religious education that is being imparted, then there should be no problem… Therefore, before we reach any conclusion, we need to check what these madrasas are teaching,” said Shams.
He said the state has 415 registered madrasas, of which 117 are under the Waqf Board and the rest under the Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board. None of them charges any fees, and they all run on charity.
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