Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind president Arshad Madani has rejected the findings of the Uttar Pradesh government’s recently concluded madrasa survey and has said that madrasas do not need government funding.
“Madrasas, by ideological reasons, are funded by the community. People give of their own volition. Any government aid will amount to interference in their functioning. The madrasas have to be completely independent to fulfil their purpose,” he said.
Mr. Madani, however, welcomed the suggestion to teach secular subjects. “Some madrasas used to teach all subjects like Maths, English and Science up to Class V. Now, if they wish they can help their students complete Class XII too as long as it does not interfere with Deoband’s Arabic curriculum.”
Earlier, the survey found 8,500 “unrecognised” madrasas in the State. Most of them were in Moradabad, followed by Siddhartha Nagar and Bahraich. There are around 25,000 madrasas in U.P. and only 538 madrasas receive government aid. Around 16,000 unaided madrasas are recognised by the State madrasa education board. Dr. Iftikhar Ahmed Javed, chairman, State Education Board, said the survey would enable madrasas to avail of the government’s welfare schemes and many madrasas have sought help.
Mr. Madani said, “Almost 99% of non-recognised madrasas have ideological affiliation with the Darul Uloom, Deoband. They follow the same template and believe madrasas have to be run with the community’s funds to fulfil their larger purpose.”
He said the Deoband seminary, which too is not recognised, has never availed of government aid. “Back in 1956, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, visited Deoband and offered government help for setting up a library. We respectfully declined the offer as taking any official help could have brought in government interference,” he said.
Mr. Madani would like “to wait and see the details” of the survey but believes they “do not appear to be new”. “Madrasas are run with the donations of the community. We know they are short of funds but play a crucial role in giving education to the poor. For 150 years, we have operated by one principle.”
He added that madrasas have to run with the donations of the poor. “If the rich finance a madrasa or it is run with government aid, it loses its purpose of producing moral custodians of society,” he said.
