Jamiat refuses govt help for madrasa reform

HYDERABAD: The Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind (JUH), the largest Islamic organisation in the country, is not willing to take funds from the Centre for the modernisation of madrasas.
The government wants to revamp madrasas through grants and a madrasa board law.

JUH leaders say accepting the grants would give the government direct control over the community-specific learning system.

“The grant would allow the government to dictate the syllabus, thereby distorting the system,” a JUH leader said. The issue is being discussed at the JUH’s two-day 29th national conference in Hyderabad. A resolution on the issue would be taken on Sunday.
However, the JUH is willing to open madrasas for media scrutiny. Some JUH leaders have suggested that the madrasas invite the media to take a closer look at the institution.
In all, 21 resolutions will be taken by the JUH at the national session. The issues include terrorism, communal riots, social reform, US aggression in the Middle East, and the Sachar and Ranganath Committee reports (on the social, economic and educational status of Muslims, and the question of reservation for Muslims, respectively).

The JUH also wants the government to promulgate a law against communal violence through which district officials can be pulled up over inaction. A JUH leader said: “The district administration should be made responsible for communal violence. Also, the law
should specify compensation for victims and punishment for perpetrators.”