Netas vie to open Urdu schools in Maharashtra

Muslims constitute 11.5 per cent of the state’s total population of 11.25 crore. Currently,there are around 3,000 Urdu-medium schools,mostly in a state of neglect. In all,they face a shortage of around 700 teachers. These schools follow the Maharashtra Board syllabus,on the lines of Marathi-medium schools.

Dalwai said,“More than 250 such proposals have been received by the government. There is a need for more Urdu-medium schools in the state as private education has become out of bounds for the economically backward sections.”

“I have already expressed my concern to Chief Minister

Prithviraj Chavan. Religion-based education will further alienate the Muslims from the mainstream. There should be more residential Urdu schools across Maharashtra,” said the Congress MP who himself runs a school in Konkan.

Malik said,“Last year,I myself submitted a proposal seeking three schools in Anushakti Nagar and Govandi area in my constituency. In Mumbai corporation area alone,there are 1.5 lakh Muslim students going to Urdu-medium schools.”

A senior cabinet minister (Congress) who did not wish to be named said,“Whether it is Aurangabad,Nanded,Dhule,Malegaon,Nashik,Akola,Mumbai,Thane or Navi Mumbai,there is a demand for Urdu-medium schools. The financial constraints often forces the government to reject these proposals at the very initial stages. So the matter is not even discussed in the cabinet.”

Both Malik and Dalwai agree that increasing grants for madrasas could not be an alternative to providing education to the majority the Muslims.

BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said,“The allocation of funds for madrasas is vote bank politics. If the government was concerned about the uplift of minorities,it would have strengthened Urdu-medium schools in state,which are in a state of neglect because there are no funds. How come they have money to finance madrasas?”