"HC order on UP Madrassa Act must be challenged in SC," says Islamic Centre of India chairperson
Mar 23, 2024
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 23 : On Allahabad High Court striking down the UP Madrassa Act, chairman of the Islamic Centre of India Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi said that the act was made by the government and such a verdict will have repercussions on the teachers and the students who are a part of such madrassas.
"Approximately 13,329 madrassas have been registered, where 15 lakh students are studying. The number of teachers who are getting paid is around 9,646, and non-teaching staff is 3,200," he stated.
Raising concern, he said that a large number of people will be unemployed because of this decision. "What will happen to the future of the students?" he questioned.
"The decision must be challenged in the Supreme Court," he emphasised.
He highlighted that not only religious education is given in such madrassas, but languages like Arabic and Persian are also taught, as the aim of the board is to promote these languages.
"Since the Quran is available in Arabic and Persian, that is why it is taught, but subjects of modern education are also taught. In most of the madrassas, English, computer science, science, etc. are taught," he added.
He further stated that students who studied in such madrassas have become IAS, IPS, and professors in big universities.
"We must not forget that APJ Abdul Kalam also got his primary education in madrassas," he added.
Elaborating on Article 30 of the Indian Constitution, he said that it gives us the right to establish institutions that promote religion. "We are not just teaching religion but also modern subjects beneficial for society," he added.
Meanwhile, on Friday, the Allahabad High Court declared the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education Act, 2004, "unconstitutional" and violative of the principle of secularism.
The Lucknow bench of Allahabad, while declaring the law ultra vires, asked the state government to accommodate current students in the formal schooling system.
A division comprising Justice Vivek Chaudhary and Justice Subhash Vidyarthi passed the verdict on a writ petition filed by a person named Anshuman Singh Rathore.
