Darul Uloom Deoband, the biggest madrasa of India, has rejected the government’s proposal for modernisation of education in madrasas – the Islamic religious schools.
The Islamic clerics asserted that any change in the present `nizam of education’ would destroy the very institution of Islamic religious education and madrasas would lose their sense of purpose.
“Some ignorant people are advocating the idea of fundamental changes in the curriculum of madrasas and gradually shifting to modern education. There is no need to be influenced by such people and we have to maintain the old `nizam of education’. We unanimously reject the idea of modernisation of the madrasa curriculum. The present curriculum of education in madrasa is the real objective of the madrasas and if we move away from the present curriculum then the Islamic schools will go astray and lose sense of purpose,” said Maulana Mufti Abul Kasim Nomani, mohtamim (vice chancellor) of Darul Uloom of Deoband.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi since last over eight years has been advocating for modernisation of the Islamic schools, saying the Muslim children should hold Quran in one hand and laptop/computer in the other.
Islamic seminary Darul Uloom had convened a conference of Muslim clerics and managers of 4,500 madrasas at Deoband in Saharanpur district on Sunday. The conference was held at Masjid Rashidiya in Deoband. The conference was convened by Kul Hind Rabta Madrasa-e-Islamic (All India coordination committee of madrasas), an organisation controlling a network of 4,500 madrasas across the country.
Opposing the move for amendments in the syllabus of madrasas imparting Islamic religious education, the Islamic clerics of madrasas decried the attempts by the government to impart modern secular education in madrasas.
“Retaining the present education system and syllabus is a must. The madrasas will lose the true sense of purpose if the present education curriculum of madrasas is modernised,” said Maulana Mufti Abul Kasim Nomani.
“If any institution or organisation ceases to work according to its aim and objectives then it is reduced to a structure. That is why we should keep working ceaselessly to achieve our goal,” Maulana Nomani said.
The conference of Islamic clerics, however, gave a call for teaching school subjects in madrasas along with their curriculum for children up to Class 5. Maulana Nomani asked the madrasa managers to make arrangements for primary education for the children along with Islamic religious education. He said modern subjects like maths, science, English and local language as well as history subjects should be included in the curriculum up to Class 5.
He said the madrasas should seek approval from the government for teaching these subjects at the primary level.
Maulana Nomani said the purpose of better education would be achieved when children become cultured and skilled and along with education it was necessary that special attention should be given to making the students cultured.
He cautioned the Islamic clerics that “they should refrain from adopting a negative mindset in view of the current political situation in the country”.
Maulana Nomani also advised the managers of madrasas to keep their accounts and records updated.
The mohtamim of Darul Uloom Deoband also claimed that madrasas were known for preaching peace and harmony and it was an important responsibility of madrasas to crush the forces inimical to national interest.
The conference of the madrasas at Darul Uloom Deoband was organised to discuss the situation arising out of the survey of private unrecognised madrasas across the state. Darul Uloom Deoband has also been found to be an unrecognised madrasa.
The conference on Sunday was the third such meet of Muslim clerics since the order for the survey of madrasas was issued by the state government in early September. Officially the Islamic seminary said the agenda of the conference was to discuss the issues facing the Islamic schools and to discuss the measures for improving the education standards and the infrastructure.
