Improve infrastructure first: Clerics
LUCKNOW: UP minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary though has rejected his colleague Mohsin Raza’s remark on the dress code in state madarsas, Raza’s statement has drawn strong reaction from the clerics and madarsa teachers alike.
Some clerics said on Wednesday unless infrastructure and other facilities were improved, mere changing a dress won’t build self confidence among the students.
A few clerics called ‘Kurta Paijama’ a national dress and blamed Raza for hurting religious sentiments by making ‘baseless’ remarks. They said such acts were also maligning party’s image.
“Such baseless statements are embarrassing. How can they could build self confidence among the students by changing the dress when madarsas lack even basic infrastructure like toilets, benches, fans or portable water facility,” said Maulana Farangi Mahali, Imam Eidgah and chairman of Darul Uloom Farangi Mahali.
Instead, the maulana said, the minister should have announced the establishment of ultramodern madarsas or hightech madarsas that would have actually helped students.
Mohammed Siddique, teacher with Madarsa Darul Mubliggin, said ‘Kurta Paijama’ was a traditional wear and it should not be changed. Siddique said if the ministers were so much concerned about the state of madarsas, they should first think of enhancing basic facilities.
“I am actually wondering why the BJP minister thinks that madarsa students who wear ‘Kurta Paijama’ won’t be able to relate themselves with the mainstream,” said Maulana Saif Abbas, president Shia Chand Committee.
“They make deliberate remarks, just to create sensation and to please their senior party members. They have forgotten they are there to represent Muslim issues and not to hurt their sentiments,” he added.
RAZA STICKS TO HIS GUNS
State minister for Haj and Waqf Mohsin Raza continue to stick to his guns saying he will urge the government to introduce dress code, at least in governmentrun madarsas. State has around 560 aided-madarsas.
Raza said uniform played an important role in boosting the self confidence of the students. He said he will propose common dress code in government run madarsas. As far as the infrastructure was concerned, he said the state government was on its way to modernise the madarsas and also had plans to connect them with a common portal. The minister on Tuesday had said that government had plans to propose a common dress code in madarsas.
NO INTERFERENCE: CHAUDHARY
Cabinet minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary, who had rejected Mohsin Raza’s remark on Tuesday night by making a tweet saying government had no such plans to implement dress code in madarsas, said students and management of madarsas were free to wear whatever they wanted.
“Government cannot interfere in the dress code issue. It’s purely the call of the management of the institution,” said Chaudhary, cabinet minister for minority welfare, Muslim waqf and Haj.