Govt. should stop playing game with Muslims, says Maulana Wali Rahmani

Lambastes the govt. on Madrasa reforms, waqf misuse and poor scheme implementation for minorities

Friday, January 29, 2010 10:33:42 PM, Aleem Faizee, ummid.com

Aurangabad: On the way to MGM ground in Aurangabad on January 28 yesterday where a rally was organised to press the government on the implementation of the Rangnath Mishra Commission Report, Union Industry Minister and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh must have thought it like the ones regularly organised by sycophant Muslim groups to shower praise on the government. However, when Maulana Mohammad Wali Rahmani – renowned Muslim scholar, founder of Rahmani Foundation and president of Madrasa Modernisation Committee, took the stage and launched fiery onslaught against successive governments, the event perhaps became an experience of a lifetime for him.

"Stop playing game with Indian Muslims. In the last more than sixty years, you have done very little and have publicised more", he said after lambasting the government over Madrasa reforms, misuse of waqf lands, flip-flop on minority reservation and poor handling of the welfare schemes meant for the minorities.

“It is time you come up with a concrete program and mechanism for proper implementation of the development schemes you propose for the minorities”, he stressed as an embarrassed looking Vilasrao Deshmukh watched a strong 15000+ crowd lauding the Maulana’s tirade with frequent applauds.

The rally was jointly organized by All India Ranganath Mishra Commission Report Implementation Committee and Markazi Majlise Ulema Maharashra and had attracted people from all across Marathwada and neighboring areas.

“Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission Report was gathering the dust for years. Now after so many years when you tabled it in the parliament, we are being told that there is no provision in the constitution for reservation on the basis of religion”, he recalled before asking, “Was a retired respectable Supreme Court Justice so naive that he did not know such a simple thing before recommending it in his report?”

“You are insulting the honourable judge on one hand and on the other, trying to deceive the minority communities once again”, he said while adding, “The fact is, not only has the constitution any provision to bar reservation because of the reason sited by you but the entire reservation system that exists in the country is based on religion.”

‘Madrasa Board, never’

Maulana Mohammad Wali Rahmani was equally critical of the proposed Madrasa board. Coming down heavily on Minister of Human Resource Development (HRD) Kapil Sibal, he said, “The entire proposal is nothing but an attempt to destroy the spirit and very purpose of the Mada’ris (plural of Madrasa) they have been founded with and run since years.”

Observing that after the Government formed waqf boards to look after the waqf lands, misuse of these lands have become manifold, he said, “With every passing day the Waqf Boards are becoming powerful. But, with the same pace is increasing selling-off of the waqf lands on through-away prices, their misuse and exploitation by vested interests. Ditto is with the Madrasa boards that are formed in some states. In whichever state the Madrasa board is established, they have become powerful, but the entire education system and administration in the Mada'ris have collapsed.”

“Do you want to replicate it in the entire country?” he asked.

“If you are really worried about the condition of the Madrasa students,” he thundered, “Why don’t you go ahead with the proposal put up by the Madrasa Modernisation Committee that is already approved, notified and launched by your own erstwhile government?”

'Development funds, for whom'

Detailing how the development funds announced for the minorities remain on papers and seldom see proper utilization, he said, "The Planning Commission proposed 3,780 crore rupees for welfare of the minorities. But, Minority Affairs Ministry changed it to the Development Plan for Minority Concentrated Districts. Finally, when they reached to the respective districts they became supplementary budgetary provision."

"Similar is the case with the much publicised scholarship scheme for minority students", he added, "After spending hundreds of rupees in the form of bank account deposits, affidavit on stamp papers and 'cash-for-favor' to different individuals, as compared to the application received, the scholarships are given to very few students."

'Deshmukh on back foot'

Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh though has a credit of establishing separate Minority Department for the Minorities in Maharashtra and few other initiatives taken for them during his tenure as Chief Minister of Maharashtra looked embarrassed by the fiery onslaught against the government launched by Maulana Wali Rahmani.

Agreeing with some of the observations made by Maulana Rahmani, he said, "The disease of sixty long years cannot be cured in a single day. We must give the credit to the government for it has at least initiated something for the welfare of the minorities specially the Muslim community."

Stating that he never agreed on forceful establishment of Madrasa Board he said, "In Maharashtra when the issue came and I learnt that the Muslim community is against the formation of the Madrasa Board in its present form, I did not force its formation."

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