THE OLDEST and biggest Muslim Yateem Khana, is hit by another controversy. After All India Muslim Personal Law Board chairman Maulana Rabey Hasan Nadvi backed out of the centenary function on Sunday, a group of intellectuals is rallying to have a plaque of CM Mulayam Singh Yadav removed. This group feels the CM’s plaque is an insult to those who kept or are keeping the institution alive with their zest and monetary assistance. The Yateem Khana management should have given credit to these people for their work as well, say these intellectuals.
When their voices went unheard, the group barged inside the 112-year-old orphanage and created a ruckus on Monday night. In fact, this is the second controversy to have hit the orphanage in less than three days.
At the heart of this row was the manner in which the Muslim theologian was treated. Though Maulana Nadvi was invited to grace the occasion as chief guest, the invitation never carried his name or the post he was holding. Instead, there were names of leaders of all political parties in abundance.
As expected, the mistake, as it is being called now, was taken too seriously and Maulana Nadvi never turned up at the function only to leave orphanage managers — some of them are associated with AIMPLB — red-faced. Before the heat generated by this episode could have subsided, arrived another one and out of the blue.
The CM, in fact, had laid the foundation stone for the Girls’ Hostel and training centre inside the Yateem Khana. A plaque was also placed bearing the CM’s name in bold letters with certain others at the site. The aggrieved group accused the Yateem Khana managing committee of playing into the hands of politicians. “Now there is the CM’s plaque. Once this government goes, there will be plaques of others,” they say.
{{/usCountry}}The CM, in fact, had laid the foundation stone for the Girls’ Hostel and training centre inside the Yateem Khana. A plaque was also placed bearing the CM’s name in bold letters with certain others at the site. The aggrieved group accused the Yateem Khana managing committee of playing into the hands of politicians. “Now there is the CM’s plaque. Once this government goes, there will be plaques of others,” they say.
{{/usCountry}}But in the process, the Yateem Khana has forgotten all those who really worked towards its uplift. The issue poses serious problems to the current committee members, when elections are held in June this year. A total of 27 members for executive committee and seven office-bearers for working committee will be elected.