‘Uncertainty’ looms over 25 former orphanage inmates
Around 25 inmates of the Anees-ul-Ghurba orphanage, who were handed over to the Telangana Minorities Residential Educational Institutions Society (TMRES)’s facility four years ago under certain situations, are left to their fate.
The shift took place when the dilapidated orphanage owned by the Wakf Board was demolished to make way for a new building. These inmates had been sent back ‘home’ from TMREIS schools following the
Covid-19 lockdown imposed in March
2020.Anees-ul-Ghurba was established in 1921 by philanthropist Mir Khaja Badruddin Chishti. The institution was under the control of the ecclesiastic department in the Asaf Jahi dynasty. Later, it was put under the control of the Endowment Department. In 2009, the management was transferred to the Wakf Board via a government order.
In 2017, the government sanctioned `20 crore and an adjacent piece of government land, a one-acre plot, to construct a building with the facility designed to accommodate
600 inmates (320 girls and
280 boys), and a provision for commercial leasing of part of the land for generating income.
At that time, 60 inmates were living in the orphanage. But as per TMREIS, only 25 children were admitted to its institutions and these children were later shifted to the TMREIS-run Musheerabad Girls School.
While officials in the Wakf Board say they did not have any information on the whereabouts of the Anees-ul-Ghurba inmates, TMREIS functionaries say the children were handed over to their families
ACCORDING TO information provided by TMREIS under RTI to Kareem Ansari of Yungantar, 25 children
(15 boys and 10 girls) were shifted from Aneesul-Gurba in 2017. Among them, 15 students dropped out while 27 students (12 boys and 15 girls) were admitted to the orphanage in later years. Among them, 10 students dropped out. last year, following imposition of the lockdown and closure of hostels.
According to information provided by TMREIS under RTI to Kareem Ansari of Yungantar, 25 children (15 boys and 10 girls) were shifted from Anees-ul-Gurba in 2017. Among them, 15 students dropped out while 27 students (12 boys and 15 girls) were admitted to the orphanage in later years. Among them, 10 students dropped out.
While some officials of the Wakf Board were not in a position to furnish any details about these children and admitted that they were not even sure of the number of children handed over to TMREIS custody, Wakf Board chairman Mohammed Saleem said: “These children were handed over to the TMREIS at the instance of government adviser on minorities welfare A.K. Khan. I will discuss with our CEO and the TMREIS about the children tomorrow.”
He said, “We will take over these children” when construction of the new Anees-ul-Ghurba complex is completed.
TMREIS secretary B.S. Shafiullah stated that, during the first lockdown in March 2020, these students were handed over to their families “as we shut all our hostels.” These students “had even attended our online classes. We have the tracking records of these students. Our principals and teachers are in touch with them and their guardians. These students will be accommodated again at the time of reopening of the hostels,” he said.Speaking to this correspondent, Choti Begum, a mother of two inmates at the orphanage, said her two daughters — Mohammadi Begum (10) and Hajira Begum (7) who were boarding at Musheerabad School — were handed over to her in March last year. She said these children were admitted to the orphanage after the demise of their father as she was not able to provide education and take care of them.
She said her daughters were very happy in the hostel as they were getting proper education and care. When asked if anyone was in touch with them from TMREIS or the Wakf Board, she replied that initially teachers from TMREIS were in touch for a few days. “Now no one calls or contacts us,” she said.
Meanwhile, Abid Rasool Khan, former chairman of the Human Rights Commission, addressed a letter to CEO of the Wakf Board, expressing concern about the safety and well-being of the inmates. He said TMREIS should have contacted the Wakf Board before asking the guardians to take their children back.
He also said that since many of the children came from families that were in turmoil, the Wakf Board should have taken better care when the TMREIS shut its hostels, and taken the children back and taken care of them in alternative accommodation.