The Majlis Tahaffuz-e-Madaris Gujarat (Council for Protection of Madrasas in Gujarat) has opposed the Union government's move to set up a Central Madrasa Board, saying that the latter might interfere with its affairs, particularly those concerning syllabi and teaching.

“Once the madrasas get affiliated with the board and accept the latter’s conditions, they cannot maintain their independence,” said Majlis president Mufti Ahmed Devalvi.

The Majlis had opposed the idea earlier too, the first time being when former Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh attempted to set up the board following the recommendations of the Rajinder Sachar Committee.

“Singh assured us that the board will not be set up unless the offer comes from the community itself as recommended by the Sachar Committee,” said Devalvi.

Prior to this, a similar proposal was put forward by the NDA government by involving the Delhi-based Maulana Ilyasi, which was also opposed.

Devalvi expressed surprise over renewed efforts by the UPA government in this direction saying that the Muslim community was not making any demand for it and that he has written to HRD minister Kapil Sibal as well.

“Once the control of madrasas goes in the hands of the government, these seminaries will lose their very spirit,” he said, adding that the religious content of the syllabus of some madrasas in Bihar and West Bengal was diluted after they were affiliated to the boards set up by the respective state governments, “reducing them to the position of any modern school”.

He said madrasas were for purely religious needs. “Madrasas are teaching modern subjects like mathematics, sciences and computers, and some madrasa students join the mainstream educational institutions after completing their studies in the seminaries. Let the government set up modern schools and colleges on its own in areas where madrasas are located, rather than eyeing madrasas and their properties,” he added.

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