[Poll Pitt]

Resolutions
Passed by All India Conference of Rabta Madaris Arabia
Held on 15/03/2012 Thu in Darul Uloom Deoband

Resolution No. 1
Deep Concern over Acts Paving the Way for Government to Intervene in Madrasa

The Conference of Rabat-e-Madaris Islamia, which consists of respected representatives of all states of the country, expresses its deep concern over the three Acts which the government has introduced during recent years. If these Acts come into force in full the Islamic and spiritual system of Madrasas shall fall prey to full interference of the Government.

First and foremost of all is the issue of Central Madrasa Board on which All India Conference of Islamic Madrasas held on 25 Feb 2008 had discussed in detail and rejected the proposal of Madarsa Board unanimously. This Conference repeats its stand of rejecting the Madrasa Board proposal. The government brushed this matter aside when Darul Uloom Deoband and Islamic Madrasas along with Islamic organizations had opposed it, but efforts still continue to establish the Central Madrsa Board on the approval or demand of some shortsighted elements.

Therefore, this Conference, once again, deems it necessary to draw the attention of the Govt not to overlook the view of Darul Uloom Deoband and the Madrasas approving the stand, and drop the proposal of Madrsa Board. If the government wants to give aids to Muslims, it should pay attention to the modern institutes of Muslims where majority of Muslim children are getting education. The government’s aid in those institutes will be appreciable.

The second important issue is ‘Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education’ (R.T.E.) Act 2009 which was enacted in April 2010. As per this rule, every child from 6 to 14 (and now from 3 to 18) has the basic right to get access to free basic education in a neighboring school. In it, the governmental administration, parents of children and school administration have been asked to help children and manage the same. In fact, if this Act is introduced in its present shape, there will be no option left to teach children the Islamic curriculum of Madrasas, specially Hifz (memorization of the Quran). So, it is demanded by Islamic Madrasas and Islamic organizations from the Govt to declare the religious and Islamic institutes exempted from this law.

Thus this All India representative Conference of Rabita Madaris Islamia Arabia demands the Government of India to make amendments in the present bill with these words: “All the Islamic Madrasas and institutions shall be exempted from this act which Muslims established under the Fundamental Rights enshrined to them in the Constitution under article 30.

The third concerned issue is of ‘Direct Taxes Code’ which has been announced to come into force from 1 April 2012. This Act has been introduced in place of current Income Tax Act. If it is passed in the Parliament in the same purview then all the religious educational intuitions, places of worship and all kinds of charity institutions shall come under direct attack. According to this Act only non-profit educational institutions shall be exempted from the tax. But the definition of non-profit educational intuitions does not apply to Madrasas and Islamic seminaries. Thus all the religious institutions shall come under heavy taxation. This meeting demands the Government to review the provision of this Act, and exempt the Masjids, Madrasas, Maktabs and religious institutions from taxation in future as before.