Highlighting the government’s responsibility, Kanoongo asserted, “It is the duty of the government to ensure that children receive normal education. The state cannot turn a blind eye to its obligations.”He pointed out that impoverished Muslim children are often pressured into religious schooling over secular education, undermining their prospects.”Why do we constrain our poorest Muslim children to attend madrassas instead of schools? This policy shifts the burden unfairly onto them,” Kanoongo remarked.Reflecting on the historical policies, Kanoongo recalled the post-1950 constitutional mandate for universal education.”After the Constitution was implemented in 1950, Maulana Azad (India’s first Education minister) visited madrassas in Uttar Pradesh and declared that Muslim children did not need to pursue higher education in schools and colleges. This led to a significant underrepresentation of Muslim students in higher education, currently hovering around five per cent,” he noted.In contrast, he highlighted the participation rates of other marginalized communities, suggesting that systemic biases have hindered Muslim students’ academic achievements.”Look at this situation: around 13 to 14 per cent of students in higher education are from Scheduled Castes (SC), and over 5 per cent are from Scheduled Tribes (ST). Combined, SC and ST students make up 20 per cent of the higher education population, while Other Backward Classes (OBC) account for 37 per cent while Muslims in higher education just remain 5 per cent,” he said.Kanoongo also criticised the past education ministers from the Muslim community, labelling them as “white elephants of misdeeds” for their roles in perpetuating educational disparities.”These ministers stood in madrassas and discouraged Muslim children from pursuing regular education, effectively depriving them of their fundamental right to education,” he said.Going ahead, Kanoongo stressed the importance of integrating madrassa students into mainstream schools.
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