Hamidul Ghazim, Secretary of All Jharkhand Madrasa Teachers Association informed about the current state of madarsas in the the state. He pointed out about the madrasas that are affiliated with the state are unable to function properly and their teachers have to face numerous problems.
Hamidul Ghazi, who is also the head maulvi of the Madrasa Hussainia Tajwidul Quran, located in the Mahagama block of Godda, Jharkhand, adds, “The teachers faced a lot of problems under the previous government. Their salaries were not paid for three years. It became difficult for them to run their households. They had to stop their own children’s education. They managed somehow for two years by selling the little land they had.”
Improvement after JMM government in power
As soon as his party in the state partnered with the INDIA alliance, Chief Minister Hemant Soren cleared the outstanding debt, and the madrasa teachers are now routinely paid. But as part of its election manifesto, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) had also pledged to establish a Madrasa Board in the state along the lines of Bihar. The party hasn’t delivered on that promise in the more than four years since it took office.
Differences in Teacher Salaries and Funding
There are 1,260 authorized teaching positions in aided madrasas with funding, according to data gathered by minority affairs specialist S. Ali and his organization, the All Muslim Youth Association. Of these, more than 600 have been unfilled for a number of years. There are insufficient classrooms and libraries at forty-seven of these madrasas. Since the last administration, the scholarships for desks, clothing, shoes, and bags have been suspended.
These establishments follow the central government’s Scheme for Providing Quality Education in Madrasas; however, since 2012, teachers who were hired under the scheme to teach science, social sciences, and languages in order to impart modern education have not received their salaries.
In Jharkhand, the state recognizes three different types of madrasas. Only one of these has government-funded salaries for its teachers.
These are the 186 madrasas that receive financial support from the government. Subsequently, there exist forty financially independent madrasas that receive a small grant from the government. Lastly, the government provides no support of any kind to 549 madrasas that are considered unaided.
Degree of Alim and Fazil cannot give any job
The Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) oversees all three types of madrasas in Jharkhand.
In addition to awarding degrees, the JAC administers exams for Maulvi, Alim, and Fazil. But the JAC’s Alim and Fazil degrees aren’t recognized as legitimate BA and MA degrees. These degrees do not entitle anyone to higher education or employment.
“Thousands of scholars in the state who are Alim and Fazil are staring at ruined futures,” says minority affairs specialist S. Ali. In multiple submissions to the government, the Madrasa Association and I have requested that a university in Jharkhand administer the exams and grant degrees to Alim and Fazil, just as the Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic and Persian University in Bihar does. In this regard, there is even a directive from the High Court. Despite everything, the government has not yet resolved the issue as per the report of outlook.
“The Jharkhand Board will also be constituted before the elections,” said Hafizul Hasan
Hafizul Hasan is the Minister of Minority Welfare and a member of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha. Regarding the Madrasa Board and associated matters, he remarks, “I’m looking into it. All these problems of the madrasas will be resolved. I have asked for the drafts of the Madrasa Boards of Bihar, Odisha, and Bengal. The Jharkhand Board will also be constituted before the elections. Our government has faced constant disruption of late. This has impacted the speed of our efforts in this direction.”
The states that border Haryana, including Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, each have their own Madrasa Boards. In this sense, Jharkhand is an exception.
by TIND Posting team