Muslim clerics oppose grants
Condemning the decision of providing financial aid to madrasas of the state, Muslim clerics accused the government of playing cheap gimmicks as the decision came when the Lok Sabha elections are just a few months away. The clerics have also come together to create a forum called Tanzeem United Muslims of Maharashtra to create awareness among madrasas against the decision.
Talking to reporters, Maulana Luqman Nadvi of the Milli Council said that the decision is an example of cheap election stunts for highjacking minority votes by providing a meagre financial aid of `10 crore. “It is neither ethical nor lawful to accept such grants from any secular government for madrasas that produce religiously qualified Muslim clerics mainly for religious purposes. Hence, the move of the ruling DF government is unfair, unjustified, biased and unlawful,” Mr Nadvi told.
Instead, the forum has demanded recognition of madrasa education by approving bridge courses of one year. “If the government is really serious about doing something concrete to bring Indian Muslims into the mainstream, then it should implement the proposal of conducting the UGC-approved bridge courses and examinations. These bridge courses must be offered after the Sanad of Aalimiyat after which the student should be considered a graduate. Likewise, a similar bridge course can be offered after the Sanad of Fazeelat post which the student should be considered at par with other postgraduates,” Maulana Nadvi said.
The state government has recently decided to give financial assistance to madrasas for modern education. A provision of `10 crore has also been made for the current fiscal year. Maharashtra has more than 2,000 madrasas.
The clerics are also afraid that the government would try to interfere in the madrasas in the name of the grants. “We don’t want the grants at all as many of the madrasas are already providing modern education to their students,” Maulana Nadvi informed.
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