New Delhi: Holding that education is the
only tool to bring "compatible social change" among Muslims,
an umbrella body of Imams on Saturday demanded specific policy
initiatives from the Centre to ensure better educational
opportunities for the community.
Seeking radical changes, the All India Organisation of
Imams of Mosques (AIOIM) also demanded minority status for
Jamia Milia Islamia, special scheme for education of Muslim
girls and steps for upgrading science education in madarsas,
including a government scheme for providing maths and science
teachers to such institutions.
"There was consensus among the participants that
education is the only tool to bring about a consistent and
compatible social change and therefore focus of the community
is shifted from agitation-based polity to real issues of
socio-economic transformation," it said after a conference on
'Role of Ulemas' in Educational Upliftment of Indian Muslims'.
The AIOIM submitted a memorandum to HRD Minister Kapil
Sibal in which various demands to improve educational
infrastructure for the community were placed.
The Imams' body also sought formulation of a master plan
to encourage education of the Muslim girl child which it said
"is the need of the hour".
Sibal, in a message to the conference, said that it was a
"matter of great pleasure that ulemas and imams are themselves
conscious of modernising education in traditional institutions
and on their own volition many madarsas have introduced
science, maths and computer education."
Sibal said his Ministry did not intend to interfere in
the madarsa system and it was his stated position that the
Government would not take any step towards setting up of the
Madarsa Board till there was a consensus among all sections of
the community.
He said the Government's scheme of providing financial
assistance for honorarium of teachers, developing science labs
and teachers' training will be available for all madarsa
managements who volunteer to take benefit of it.
"Even in the Prime Minister's 15-point programme for
Welfare of Minorities, equivalence of madarsa certificates
have been envisaged and in this direction a very important
step was taken and madarsa qualifications were equated with
CBSE," Sibal said in his message.
Meanwhile, the Imams' body also demanded recognising
Madarsa certificates and degrees for pursuing higher studies
in colleges and universities and said these qualifications
should be considered for getting jobs in government,
semi-government and private sector organisations.
Focussing on better education for the community, it said
Government must immediately launch a scheme for providing
teachers of English, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies
at its own expenses "in order to promote enlightment".
"A national scheme in service training programme for
madarsa teachers also needs to be launched to bridge the gap
between modern and madarsa education," the conference
concluded.
It said Urdu-medium primary and secondary schools should
be set up in Muslim-dominated areas.
It also said that there are complaints regarding
inadequacies in the present minority character of Aligarh
Muslim University and demanded setting up of a committee to
look into the grievances.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, February 20, 2010, 21:28