RTE act 2009, Muslim’s agitation and game of politics

By

Abdul Hannan Siwani Nadvi

Once again, Congress party has promised Muslims for exempting Madarsas and other all minority educational institutions from the ambit of RTE act 2009.

This time, it is repeated by Congress leader Mr. Digvijaya Singh. Such assurances have been made many times by Congress party and its leaders.

When Mr. Rahul Gandhi had visited Draul Uloom Nadvatul Ulema last year and met with Moulana Rabey Hasani Nadvi to discuss Muslims issues, Mr. Rahul Gandhi had said that he would discuss that issue with party high command to keep Madarsas and minority educational institutions out from the ambit of RTE act.

Before it, various Muslim leaders and Ulema have expressed their concern over that act, even Moulana Wali Rahmani, a renowned Islamic scholar, has met many times to HRD minister Mr. Kapil Sibal. He also promised and gave assurances to look into this issue and the amendments will be made to exempt Madarsas and other minority educational institutions from that act. However, all those promises and assurances still just a promise.

Indeed, certain clauses in this act have very severe consequences if that act be placed by each state. Even it gives full power to government and police to change the destiny of Madarsas, particularly independent Madarsas and minority educational institutions, Muslims and non-Muslims.

Since this act came into public domain, Ulema, Muslim thinkers and writers have been objecting on some clauses of this act which is not only against the spirit of good education but also against entire minority educational institutions.

There is a growing concern among Muslim community that this law, which not only will eliminate Muslim's identities but also will pave a legal way to Hindutva sympathizers to crush Islamic identities and its history from India if it be placed without any amendment, could be applied against their religious and modern educational institutions.

Looking to country's political situation, and thus the growing number of communal and biased people in government institutions and BJP ruled states effort to paint government and government-aided schools with saffron color, there is more probability of the use of this law against Madarsas and other educational institutions established and administrated by Muslims only because various states and central governments, in past, have made various efforts, sometimes through Madarsa board, and sometimes through financial aid, to take private Madarsas and Muslim minority educational institutions under their control but it has failed to do so due to strong protest from Ulema and various Muslim's bodies.

This act gives a legal way to ensure state or central governments intention of crushing the independent status of Madarsas and other minority educational institutions.

Muslim personal law board has already started its campaign against RTE act. The current campaign which is “Save Constitutional Rights movement” under the banner of (AIMPLB) is being organized by Moulana Wali Rahmni, secretary, All India Muslim Personal Law Board, who is holding agitations, seminars, discussions and press conferences over RTE act 2009, Direct tax Code bill 2010, Waqf bill 2010 and Denying Right of Inheritance in UP to bring awareness in Muslim community about those laws and their severe negative results on Muslims educational religious and historical climates in India

When congress will take serious step fulfilling its promises, the time will make clear the air over the cloud of the act that will make Madarsas and other Muslim educational institutions fruitless and wipe them out categorically.

25-01-2012