Articles
Funding Madrasas
Dt: 16/10/24
Funding Madrasas
- Dr T.H.Chowdary*
Maharashtra government triples salaries of Madrasa teachers
Headline news in the Indian Express of 11/10/24. News filed by Sudhir Suryavamsi, Mumbai .
2. It is indeed atrocious that governments are funding madrasas. These are purely religious schools giving instruction through Urdu language, drilling the students to get the Holy Koran memorized. The instruction is by fundamentalist Islamist teachers. Such institutions being funded by governments sworn to abide by the Constitution of India is perplexing and disgusting.
3. Articles-27 , 28 , 29 and 30 of the Constitution have minorities, Muslims among others, in aim. Art-27 is titled, “Freedom as to payment of taxes for promotion of any particular religion”. This is being subverted in respect of the madrasas. Governments have created Minority Affairs Ministries in the Center and States. Money is allocated to those Minority Welfare Departments and Minority departments fund various activities of the minorities. In the Telugu states AP and Telangana there are Minority Finance Corporations to which from the budget that is , from the tax monies of the people monies are allocated and the money is used for promoting the religious activities. So, indirectly, people of the minority religions that is, Islam and Christianity are promoted by the Hindu’s tax monies.
4. Art-28 reads: Freedom as to attendance at religious instruction or religious worships in certain educational institutions
(1) no religious instruction shall be provided in any educational institutions wholly maintained out of state funds.
(3) no person attending any educational institution recognized by the state or receiving aid out of state funds shall be required to take part in any religious instruction that maybe imparted in such institutions, have to attend ……….
5. In the light of these Articles of the Constitution any government State or Central funding the madrasas is in violation of the Constitution . Obviously in order to attract the votes from Muslims governments’ are funding the madrasas.
6. In contrast to this action subverting the Constitution (indirectly or directly) governments by parties wanting to attract the minority that is Muslim votes are funding the madrasas and other activities of Muslim (also Christian) organisations .
7. It is surprising that of BJP -led governments are also indulging in this act of appeasing Muslims with the money of Hindus. It is a forlorn hope of the BJP that it will be ever get Muslim votes. In fact, the grand- daughter of Zakir Hussian the former President of India, while campaigning in the elections to the Lok Sabha in UP in 2024 called upon the Muslims to wage vote jihad. It is obvious however, obsequiously the BJP tries to get the Muslim votes, it will not succeed; may be 1% or 2% of Muslims may vote for it. Usually they will vote for any candidate of any party who is likely to defeat the BJP candidate.
8. Keeping aside all the above observations of mine people must take note of the subversion of the Constitution by among others even the BJP in their act of financing madrasas which are purely institutions of Islamic education.
9. In contrast to this appeasing act in favour of Muslims, it is noteworthy that no Saraswati Vidyalaya ( a few thousands of them are there in Bharat) run by the RSS don’t get even a rupee from governments. So, it is obvious that governments like subsidise the Haj yatra of Muslims are subverting the Constitution in their act of funding the madrasas.
10. Some governments like those in AP and Telangana pay Pastors (Christian), Imams and Muezzins from the state budget while the Archakas in Hindus’ temples under administration and management of governments .
11. The AP and Telangana governments subsidise Christians’ pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the Holy Land (whereas Hindu pilgrims have to pay substantial amounts, buy tickets to see the Gods / Goddesses in temples). No subsidy is paid to Hindus’ pilgrimage to Amarnath, Manasarovar…… (645 words)
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