The Centre has been forced to rework the Central Madarsa Board (CMB) Bill, 2009 after certain Muslim parliamentarians objected to the draft.
The Centre has been forced to rework the Central Madarsa Board (CMB) Bill, 2009 after certain Muslim parliamentarians objected to the draft.
At a meeting between Muslim MPs and the human resource development (HRD) ministry, the MPs objected to the composition of the proposed body, since they thought it did not give fair representation to the community. In response, the HRD minister Kapil Sibal asked the Muslim MPs to come up with a fresh draft of the bill within one month, stating how they want the board to be.
Though all 30 Muslim MPs had promised to attend the meeting, only 18 were present. Three of them objected the proposal of CMB very strongly. They were Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimmen MP from Hyderabad Asaddudin Owaisi, Trinamool’s Sultan Ahmad, who is also a minister in the UPA government, and Ahmad Syed Malihabadi (independent).
The remaining MPs, including BJP’s Shanawaz Hussain, broadly agreed to go with the government on the issue of setting up a Central Madarsa Board.
“It was a fruitful meeting. However, many MPs were worried how the CMB Act would be constituted. They believed that the government’s intention is fair but the bill needs major modifications. I have agreed to it and asked them to draft the bill and bring it to me which I will take before the ulemas (clerics). I don’t want to give any impression that the government is in a hurry to interfere in their religious teachings,” HRD minister Kapil Sibal said. The ministry clarified that the government will not set up any board without a green signal from the community. If they don’t don’t like the reworked proposal, there will be no madarsa board.
“The moment you say that in case of a dispute, the Centre’s decision will be final, you give a feeling that madrassas have an element of grey. You are viewing us with suspicion. Why doesn’t the government regulate Sanskrit Vidyapeeths?. The bill doesn’t have the preamble clarifying why such a board is needed,” Owaisi said.
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