Over 600 state-run madrasas being closed in India’s Assam, assembly passes bill
India's Assam government is going to close down over 600 state-run madrasas and turning those into general schools from next year.
To this effect, Assam state assembly on Wednesday night -- amid walkout by opposition Congress and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) -- passed a bill.
From April 1 next year, more than 600 state-run madrasas will be converted into upper primary, high and higher secondary schools with no change of status, pay, allowances and service conditions of the teaching and non-teaching staff, according to the bill.
The opposition slammed the BJP-led state government's move to close the madrasas and accused the ruling party of adopting polarisation tactics in Assam which will have fresh Assembly polls in March-April next year, reports our New Delhi correspondent.
After Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma turned down the request of the Congress and AIUDF to send The Assam Repealing Bill, 2020 to the select committee to have "proper discussion" and also rejected the amendments, the Speaker placed the proposed law to voice vote.
Amidst a noisy scene, the bill was passed with majority as all allies of BJP -- Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF) -- supported the government.
The approved bill proposes to abolish the two existing acts -- The Assam Madrassa Education (Provincialisation) Act, 1995 and The Assam Madrassa Education (Provincialisation of Services of Employees and Re-Organisation of Madrassa Educational Institutions) Act, 2018.
"I feel this is going to be a gift to the minority community. The students studying in those madrasas will hail the decision after 10 years," Sarma said, rejecting opposition members' objections.
He said the government cannot support teaching of a particular religion in a secular country like India.
"It is wrong to say that the government is doing this against the Muslim society. Opposing Islamic fundamentalism is not opposing the religion Islam. Our government has done lot of things to uplift the minority community," Sarma said, citing some examples of schemes.
Sarma said he does not need votes in minority areas for the next 20 years and he has no compulsion unlike the period when he was in the Congress.
To Congress legislator Sherman Ali Ahmed's suggestion to make the madrasas centres of excellence for learning Arabic, Urdu and English, Sarma said that at present 50,600 students are learning Arabic in general schools and it will continue to be taught in the transformed madrasas also.
There are 610 state-run madrasas across Assam with the government spending Rs 260 crore annually, the Education Minister had said earlier.
On December 13 this year, the Assam cabinet had approved a proposal to close down all madrasas and Sanskrit schools in order.
However, the Assam Repealing Bill, 2020 did not contain anything relating to the Sanskrit schools.
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