New Delhi: Terming the Right to Education
Act as "against the fundamental rights", Jamiat-Ulema-i-Hind
today threatened to oppose it with full vigour, demanding
exemption of schools run by religious and linguistic
minorities from its provisions.
"Right to Education is against the fundamental right
guaranteed in Article 29 of our Constitution and against the
interest of thousands of missionary schools, pathshalas and
Madarsas spread throughout the country," President of
Jamiat-Ulema-i-Hind Maulana Syed Arshad Madani said in a press release.
He said the provision for "compulsory admission of
children in specific schools only, as demanded in the Right
to Education Act, will only deprive religious and linguistic
minorities of their identity."
Madani said the Government of India should not do
anything which will affect the freedom of a person as
envisaged in the Constitution.
He added that if the government does not exempt the
religious and linguistic minorities run schools from the
provisions of this Act, he will be compelled to call
for an emergency meeting of all the stake holders in the
second week of October and "oppose the same with full vigour".
Madani said the "Jamiat will not hesitate to knock the
door of the Supreme Court to retain their right."
The Act, which came into effect this April, says that
every child aged between 6 and 14 years will have the right to
free and compulsory elementary education at a neighbouring
school. The cost of the entire period will be borne by the
Central and state government in a 65:35 ratio.
PTI
First Published: Monday, July 19, 2010, 23:24