Minister of State for Minority Affairs Salman Khursheed on Tuesday dismissed the suggestion that the Right to Education Act posed a threat to madrasas.
He was reacting to news reports that Muslim religious bodies were apprehensive of the future of madrasas following the enactment of the law. The Act makes “recognition” by the government mandatory for all schools offering elementary education. “Why are they [Muslim religious leaders] fighting phantoms? The Act does not at all intend to undermine madrasa education,” Mr. Khursheed told The Hindu.
He said the only agency that could possibly misinterpret or misapply the Act [against the madrasas] was the Ministry of Human Resource Development, which “it certainly is not going to do.” He described as absurd the notion that the HRD Ministry would deliberately harm the community. “There is a communication gap here which can easily be addressed.”
Meanwhile, in a statement, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind announced its plan to discuss the RTE Act at a month-end conclave to be attended by legal and educational experts as well as Muslim organisations and educational institutions. JUIH secretary Niaz Ahmed Farooqui said while his organisation welcomed the Act as a positive step towards universalisation of education, it had apprehension over the negative provisions.
Mr. Farooqui said the JUIH had already held an internal meeting where the conclusion was that the Act was like “sweet poison.” While it “would play a critical role in universalising education and some of its provisions are most welcome for our weaker and backward sections, there are negative elements in it, [which,] if not removed, could become an instrument in the hands of the state to monopolise education and as such it would not be wrong to brand it sweet poison.”
