Home > 2005 Issues > May 29, 05

At Random ?Rambler Hollow bravado Although the Marxists may describe themselves as the sole custodian of Muslims on the pretext of championing the cause of secularism the fact remains that in their own state West Bengal thousands of Muslim education institutions and their students are facing the problem of funding. In West Bengal, there are 508 government-recognised and part-funded madrasas. But 15,000 primary schools (makhtabs) and 400 unrecognised schools (khariji madrasas) in absence of any government aid, are running totally on donations from religious charities. As government aid goes to selective schools, the future of students studying in the khariji madrasas is in dark. As a result, these students are being forced to migrate from West Bengal because the state does not have any university like Jamia Millia where students could pursue higher education. The Left government in the state has also not drafted guidelines for recognition of madrasas or constituted boards to help draft a modern curriculum. Vacation of illegal occupation After the anti-social elements, it is the turn of bureaucrats to feel the heat of President rule in Bihar, thanks Patna High Court has instructed the state Chief Secretary to serve notices to 79 IAS and IPS officers to pay their power dues within 15 days, failing which their names should be published in newspapers. If officials do not make payment, then the money would be deducted from their salaries and, those who had retired, from their pensions. This order was passed after Building Construction Secretary disclosed the fact to a division bench of High Court during the hearing of a PIL filed by the Patna Citizens? Forum, seeking vacation of government quarters under illegal occupation in the state capital. Stricter law The Central Government is considering to making stricter laws as regard to the foreign funding to non-governmental organisations. There are classified information with Union Home Ministry that some NGOs are actively involved in anti-Indian activities, particularly in the north-eastern states and Jammu and Kashmir, in the garb of humanitarian and socio-religious groups. As there is no law to deal with such cases, the government is seriously thinking to amend the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976 to ensure that the funds received from foreign countries are not misused. The proposal to this effect is likely to be placed before the Union Cabinet very soon. Under the new law, the government and public sector banks will be asked to submit to the Reserve Bank of India and the Ministry of Home Affairs about any huge transaction or the funds received by any NGO from abroad, failing which the strict penal action could be initiated against the bank. UPA's largesse In UPA government, the drive for obliging its own people is in full stream. After nominating Nirmala Despande for the Rajya Sabha seat, which was left vacant by previous NDA government, now her NGO??Akhil Bharat Rachnatmak Samaj??presented with the National Communal Harmony Award 2004. It is claimed in the citation that Akhil Bharat Rachnatmak Samaj (ABRS) is a federation infusing Gandhian values into branches spread in many states and has a wide mass base and dedicated social workers and volunteers. But the fact is that ABRS is just a pocket organisation of Despande, active within national capital and her so-called dedicated social workers and volunteers provided their services to the reenactment of Dandi March by Sonia?s Congress in Gujarat. Communal reservation Against the secular framework of the country Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), in a new admission scheme, has reserved 50 per cent seats for Muslims in university admissions. Under the scheme approved by the AMU Academic Council and Executive Council, 50 per cent of the seats will be filled up by Muslim candidates, 20 per cent by internal candidates and 25 per cent by general candidates on merit. The remaining five per cent are to be filled up by nomination by Vice Chancellor to accommodate candidates who are children of employees or alumni or belong to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The new scheme is in violation of Section Eight of the AMU Act (as last amended) prescribing that admissions should be open to all irrespective of faith. The break-up also shows that there will be practically no reservation for SCs and STs. The legality of the measure is open to dispute since the Supreme Court judgment in TMA Pai Foundation case had in mind the minority-managed colleges and not a university like the AMU, which is governed by an Act of Parliament. Moreover, the apex court judgments do not allow reservation beyond 50 per cent, whereas the AMU now has 75 per cent reservation.

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