E-Paper
Madrasa survey will benefit those who need support: U.P. Minority Commission chief
Justifying the ongoing survey of madrasas in U.P., Ashfaq Saifi opines the exercise should have been done earlier
Uttar Pradesh Minority Commission chairman Ashfaq Saifi has justified the ongoing survey of madrasas in the state. In a chat with Hemendra Chaturvedi, he said the exercise should have been done earlier as Muslims are still lagging behind even after 75 years of Independence.
Q How do you justify the timing and purpose of this survey?
A In my view, this survey should have been conducted much earlier. After 75 years of Independence, Muslims are lagging behind in education and progress. The present model of education imparted at madrasas seems to be failing the minority community both in “Deeni Taleem” (religious education) and “Duniyawi Taleem” (worldly education). Should we not assess as to what changes are required at madrasas when they are not yielding desired results and the level of education at madrasas is not up to the mark in fast growing world.
Q Is this exercise politically driven to target minorities?
A No. There are no political reasons and this myth is being propagated by those who do not in fact wish well for Muslims. Most of those criticising the survey are those who have their children educated in convent schools or in foreign countries. On the contrary, PM Narendra Modi was the one who after taking over as PM in 2014 visualised that students from minority community should have the holy “Quran” in one hand and “computer” in other. It was he who stressed the need of having Muslim students in the mainstream of country’s education system and so is the idea of U.P. chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
Q What purpose will this survey serve?
A The idea of getting madrasas surveyed was to assess the infrastructure available for students there. Whether these madrasas are having proper power supply, a courtyard for children to play, drinking water facility, toilet arrangements etc or not. Why should a Muslim child be deprived of standards of education that are available at good schools or convents? Besides, there are routine complaints about inhuman approach towards students and many of the madrasas fail to justify the funding of education process. The survey will also scan the qualifications of those imparting education there. The survey will look into all these aspects and if required and tenable, the state government will also extend a helping hand in ending deficiencies and updating arrangements at these madrasas.
Q Has the way in which the survey is being conducted not created fear?
A Only those running madrasas in an unfair way are scared because those who are running them properly are not. Many of them have welcomed the survey. Criticising this exercise will be “dishonesty” towards Muslim child who has each and every right for quality education for a bright future. There are people with vested interests who are misleading the minority community regarding this survey as they want that Muslims should lag behind in race to growth and progress. Such elements who are against the survey are aiming more at political gains and thus are creating unnecessary “fear and confusion”.
Q Initially it was said that only unregistered madrasas will be surveyed but this does not seem to be the case.
A What is the harm in having survey of each and every madrasa? What is there to hide if they are running them properly as per the norms. Mostly those having no parents or are economically weaker go to madrasas and thus such a survey will benefit those require support. No penal action is being taken in the name of survey nor any harassment is being done. The state government will analyse the report prepared after the survey and will work for filling the gaps and removing the shortcomings which will help in modernising these madrasas with the aim of improving education imparted to Muslim children. In fact, the state govt led by CM Yogi Adityanath is the well-wisher of this concept of education which needs to reviewed and improved.
