Move on madrasas, the alienation of Muslims

A statutory commission such as the NCPCR should not be eroding pluralism in India; it needs to step back from its move

Updated - October 25, 2024 10:58 am IST

“The Arabic word ‘madrasa’ means school and nothing else”

“The Arabic word ‘madrasa’ means school and nothing else” | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

As the Supreme Court of India has stayed the recommendations of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to stop government funding to madrasas (which are not compliant with the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 and to conduct an inspection of all madrasas) as well as subsequent actions taken by the Centre and various States, there is mild relief for the minorities and secular-minded people of the country. But the apprehension triggered by the move remains.

The NCPCR’s initiative is apparently guided by the ideology propounded by Bunch of Thoughts by M.S. Golwalkar. That ‘vicharadhara’ declares religious minorities as enemies of the nation. From the stance of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader, A.K. Bajpai, against this move, it is evident that even constituents of the ruling National Democratic Alliance have realised the danger behind this initiative.

The Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005 is one of the prominent progressive pieces of legislation in independent India. The directive issued by the NCPCR to State governments on October 11, 2024, was under this Act. In India, children are trafficked for sex work, beggary and even for trade of vital organs. Many of them denied the first letters of knowledge. There has been a mockery of the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986. But, unfortunately, none of these seems to concern the NCPCR. History shows that across the world, fascists have achieved their ulterior motives by a manipulation of rules and regulations.

The concept and history

The NCPCR further demands that children belonging to other religious groups should be thrown out of madrasas. It would be like “throwing the baby out with the bath water”, as cited now by the Supreme Court. According to the NCPCR, it is proved that many children belonging to other religious groups are also going to the madrasas. Why did it happen? It is difficult for anybody familiar with the experiences of the real Kerala story, a State that succeeded in the universalisation of public education, to understand this scenario. Primary education is not accessible to all in this country before and even after the enactment of the RTE Act, 2009. That is why a system has emerged of imparting secular education along with religious instructions and the government was compelled to provide financial assistance for the same in many States. The NCPCR has failed to understand this reality.

The training centres started by the ultra-terrorist Taliban in the late 1970s, under the patronage of the United States to overthrow the leftist government in Afghanistan, were later named as madrasas. It was deliberate propaganda which fits the present Islamophobic narrative put forward by the same U.S. and its imperial allies. However, the concept is inconsistent with the realities of Indian history and society. The Arabic word ‘madrasa’ means school and nothing else. And this name was used for long for both the religious and the secular schools till the introduction of the distinct system of colonial education by the British regime. In the absence of a free and universal education system, many non-Muslim children depended on madrasas. Raja Ram Mohan Roy, the father of the Indian Renaissance, Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, and the writer Munshi Premchand and many others absorbed the early rays of knowledge from madrasas and maulvis. This historical fact may be offensive to Hindutva communalists. The hatemongers of our time may not like to establish that India’s history is not one of competition and confrontation but one of coexistence and tolerance. While it is hard to stand up and speak the truth in today’s hateful discourse, it cannot be left unsaid.

The madrasa system prevailed since the days of the Delhi Sultanate and was patronised by slave, Khilji and Tughlaq dynasties. From the travelogues of Ibn Battuta, a Moroccan traveller, it is evident that Firoz Shah Tughlaq (1309-1388), the successor of the Muhammad-bin Tughlaq, instrumentalised this practice to educate women and slaves in the arts, science and handicrafts. Later, in various regions of India, and particularly in Kerala, Christian denominations widely established schools next to churches not only for the children of their own community but also for those who wanted to learn. It was not seen as a shame to get knowledge from anyone, even from those belonging to a different faith.

Social justice and not appeasement

Kerala has been a target of venomous attack in recent years, through fake and fabricated news, for the only fault of upholding solidarity and communal amity among all sections of the society despite attempts to promote hate and mistrust from various corners. The issue related to the functioning of madrasas is no exception. What is the truth? As a State that has an exemplary system of primary education, Kerala does not need to run madrasas with financial assistance from the government. Dissemination of fake news that the Government of Kerala is spending a huge amount on madrasas is simply untrue. But the Madrasa Teachers’ Welfare Fund, the financial source of pension and other benefits, is statutorily established akin to that of other categories of employees. It is based on the policy of social justice and not of religious appeasement.

Freedom of religion is constitutional. Article 25 guarantees every Indian citizen the freedom to profess, practise and propagate the religion of their choice. The government has the power to prevent anything illegal and detrimental to national security. Be it religious or secular schools, all should operate as in the guidance of the law. But the action of the NCPCR, fuelling the alienation of religious minorities, does show justice neither to the Child Rights Act nor to the country.

An aggressive majoritarianism

In a country such as ours, imparting secular values to upcoming generations is of paramount importance. The existence and the growth of India depend upon its unity in diversity. Religious leaders and people belonging to all faiths will understand the pluralistic content of this great nation. That can be inculcated by following the teachings of the great leaders of all streams irrespective of their religion. In this context, the words of Sree Narayana Guru are worth remembering: “Sarvamatha Saravum Ekam (Essence of all religions is one and the same)”.

Also read | Uttar Pradesh Madarsa Education Act, a violation of secularism: Allahabad HC

But, unfortunately, the NCPCR has shut its eyes tightly to the fact that from Kashmir to Kanniyakumari, the religious minorities are passing through days of insecurity. The vicious forces of aggressive majoritarianism frighten them with words and deeds of hatred. The move of the NCPCR can be approached only in this socio-political context. It will only rub salt into the wound of crores of Indians, whom the Bharatiya Janata Party treats as the ‘others’. A statutory commission is not expected to sow the seeds of division in society and alienate the minority psyche. That is why the people of India, upholding constitutional values, urge the NCPCR to step back from its present move.

Binoy Viswam is a former Member of Parliament, Member, National Secretariat, and Kerala State Secretary of the Communist Party of India

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