Saturday, August 9, 2008

Madrasa syllabi free from communal hatred

New Delhi: CABE Committee on Regulatory Mechanism for Text Books (RMTB) set up by HRD ministry to examine whether the syllabi of religious madrasas and RSS-managed schools contain matters spreading communal hatred, has given a clean chit to madrasas and confirmed in its report that no objectionable matter is taught in madrasas and their books contain nothing which may promote communalism or religious hatred. The RMTB Committee is co-head by JNU’s Prof. Zoya Hasan.

She said that the committee’s report has been prepared after studding the primary and secondary class books of government and private madrasas and schools run by RSS in approximately 11 states of India. She said that it has been clearly found out that there is no truth whatsoever in the accusations that the books taught in madrasas promote religious hatred and communalism. On the contrary, books taught in educational institutions run by RSS definitely contain matters which promote communal feelings that may give rise to religious conflicts.

It may be stated here that the CABE met on 10 August last year for the first time in ten years. Concern was expressed that in the books prescribed in the NCERT syllabus and also in books taught in Saraswati Shiv Mandirs run by RSS, historical and other facts have been presented in distorted form and that false information is being fed to students. Minister Arjun Singh stated that the time has come that in addition to NCERT books, those taught in government and private religious schools and madrasas should be reviewed. The meeting decided to form seven committees, one of which is CABE Committee on RMTB whose chairpersons are Prof Zoya Hasan and Prof Gopal Guru. Members of this Committee are GP Deshpande, Teesta Setalwad, secretaries of UP, AP West Bengal, Kerala and Rajasthan School Education and NCERT director Prof Krishn Kumar.

Madrasas have been absolved of the blame of teaching communalism while RSS schools as well as schools of some states have been criticised.

Source: The Milli Gazette Online

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