Teachers have expressed anguish over the Uttar Pradesh Government’s decision to exclude the new madrasas from the grants list.
On Tuesday, Yogi Adityanath cabinet decided to end the policy of the previous government.
Talking to Clarion India, Aijaz Ahmed, President of IMASS (Islamic Madarasa Modernisation Teachers Association, Uttar Pradesh), said this is discrimination against madrasas which has upset teachers.
Madrasas teach the same syllabus that is prescribed by Uttar Pradesh education board, Madhyamik Siksha Parishad (MSP). They also teach NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) books like the UP board. “If Madhyamik Siksha Parishad schools can be included in the grant list, then why can’t Madrasas be included,” he said.
According to official figures, there are more than 16,000 madrasas in the state of which 558 are being given grants by the state government. Around 20 lakh students are enrolled with the madrasas across the state.
Madarsa teachers have already accused the Central Government of withholding their salary for several years. Ahmed feels that there is a politics behind targeting the madrasas.
“If there is a talk of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, and Sabka Vishwas, why is this discrimination against madrasas. If we are working for the government, can it not give us what we deserve? I have become extremely upset by this decision. This is wrong,” he said.
He asserted that madrasas played a positive role in educating society. It has Hindi, Urdu as well as English medium. “If you compare the education of our students with that of government schools, our students will fare better,” he said.
Ahmed pointed out that the lack of grants will keep away good teachers from the madrasas.
The decision to stop grants for new madrasas has come days after the Uttar Pradesh Government made it mandatory to sing the national anthem. Minority Affairs Minister of the state Danish Azad Ansar said that the government wants madrasa students to be “full of patriotism” and the government wants to instill society’s values through the national anthem. Ahmed said the national anthem is always sung at madrasas. Since he joined the madrasa, the national anthem is always sung. Such a move taken by the government is aimed at defaming the madrasas.
“There are 40 percent Hindu teachers in madrasas. You can ask anyone about the national anthem. These are baseless allegations. The move is aimed at appeasing certain forces,” he said.