Justice M. Sohail Siddiqui, Chairman of National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions

Jamia Millia’s Minority status should be taken as a positive step: Justice M. Sohail Siddiqui?

New Delhi (13 March 2011): A delegation of Karnataka led by Prof.Riaz Ahmed participated in the inauguration of federation of Muslim educational institutions held on 13^th March at Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Headquarters in the capital.

The new Federation of Muslim Educational Institutions (India) will be an umbrella body of community’s institutes including Madrasas (religious schools), modern schools, colleges, professional and vocational institutions.

Justice M. Sohail Siddiqui, Chairman of National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions said, Indian Muslims need education revolution and it should be understood clearly that every way of progress is passed through the education.  Appreciating this step, he showed hope that this step will definitely assist in providing good education to the Muslim community. While replying to a question he termed the some concerns as are showing from some parts after declaring the Jamia Millia Islamia University a minority institution, a negative mentality and he said Jamia’s Minority status should be taken as a positive step.

Prof. Manzoor Ahmed

The President of this newly formed federation, Prof. Manzoor Ahmed, former V-C of Agra University, in his presidential speech, called it a bright future for the country and termed it a pleasant step toward convincing our demand in front of a democratic system.

The representatives of numerous educational institutions, eminent scholars, intellectuals, social activists and jurists participated in the programme.

“The idea is to improve the quality of education and make it uniform to match the modern day needs. Besides, there are a lot of government schemes for the welfare of minorities that the managing bodies usually are unaware of,” said federation’s General Secretary, Mr. Mujtaba Farooq and also Secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind. The federation will also provide training to teachers serving in madrasas and schools to equip them with modern education, he said.

About 2,000 NGOs running schools and colleges in various states have already registered as members including Jamiatul Falah in Azamgarh.

Prominent Muslim leaders, including former parliamentarian Syed Shahabuddin, retired bureaucrat and chancellor of Jamia Hamdard University Syed Hamid, Dr. S.Q.R. Ilyas, Dr. Zafarul Islam Khan Editor, Milli Gazette and Dr. Zafar Mahmood of Sachar Committee, also addressed the programme.

Mr. Mujtaba Farooq

Aims and Objectives of the federation as mentioned are – the Federation will strive in the light of peaceful, constructive, democratic and Islamic teachings to achieve its Aims and Objectives, and keep in view moral etiquette in all its work. And the area of operation is – this Federation will be the federation of managerial / administrative setups of educational institutions. It will be related to every kind of educational institutions of the community – modern, religious and vocational. It will neither interfere in nor question about the internal administration of its affiliated institutions. However, it will deal with the mutually agreed affairs according to its constitution.

The delegation of Karnataka comprised of the office bearers of Federation’s Karnataka Chapter Professor Riyaz Ahmed , Vice President s Abdul Khadeer Bidar & Shafi  Ahmed Tumkur and Treasurer S M Sadat. Mr.Abdul Wahab Saudagar Bijapur, Abdul Samad Raichur & other 15 members from all over Karnataka were also present.