Author: Sabyasachi Bandopadhyay
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: January 31, 2003
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=17555
The Jamat-e-Ulema-Hind, which has
control over 300 unrecognised madarsas in the state, today refused government
assistance, alleging that the Left Front move was aimed at gaining control
over the madarsas. ''The Marxists are playing with fire. Any move to control
the madarsas will attract secvere reaction. We don't need government help.
We are happy with what we have, what we teach,'' said Siddiqullah Choudhury,
the president of the West Bengal Rabetay-e-Madaris-e-Islamia Arabia, the
educational wing of the Jamaat. He said his organisation would organise
a public rally protesting the government move.
The state government has recently
started providing assistance to kharezi (unrecognised) madarsas as part
of the Centre's ''Education for all Scheme''. Its Madarsa Education Board
has sent a questionairre to all kharezi madarsas, asking for details about
the institutions and the kind of assistance they require.
Reacting to Jamat's charges, Minister
for School Education and Madarsas Kanti Biswas said: ''We are keen on helping
them. And I am not bothered if they call us anti-Muslim.'' The guarded
reply is mainly due to the upcoming panchayat polls due in May.
