– M Rafi Ahmed
In the wake of Sanskrit being made mandatory across 416 Uttarakhand madrasas comes the State Minister Nitesh Rane’s remarks suggesting Marathi in Madrasas in Maharashtra. This has created a communal tension as the Hindi-Marathi row snowballed following an altercation over a phone recharge in Thane. To be precise, the State Minister Nitesh Rane has poured oil to fire by creating communal tensions for electoral gains after he suggested that Marathi should be used instead of Urdu in madrasas and for the Adhan at mosques.
Muslim population joined the opposition parties to condemn the remarks made by the minister. Media reports stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party leader made the statements while responding to reports that the Congress was launching Marathi schools in several parts of Mumbai. The minister went to the extent of asking the Opposition to ask Muslims to teach Marathi in madrasas and recite the Adhan in the language instead of Urdu, adding that “otherwise, all you get from there is a gun”. Even a layman knows that the Adhan, the call for prayer, is traditionally recited in Arabic and not Urdu. It seems the minister is either wantonly or purposely making this statement aimed at creating tension.
Meanwhile, NCP (SP) leader Shashikant Shinde asked the minister to raise such topics in the Cabinet rather than making provocative statements. Congress leader Amin Patel noted that madrasas already used English, Hindi and Marathi and added that that language and religion were two different segments. Sources pointed out that the State Minister had a hidden agenda to disturb the harmonious living among different communities.
How dare the Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane ask Madrasas to use Marathi replacing Urdu. Perhaps, lack of information about Madrasa lessons are more often than not taught in the Arabic language as it pertains to Islamic way of life. Noted Holy Quran researcher, writer and publisher Dr Ameer Althaf said that the Alimiyyah course is designed to foster a spiritual and intellectual growth within all students. It provides an in-depth study of the Islamic way of life, drawn from several interpretations of the Quran and Hadith.
Moreover, the students are taught to master the Arabic language to fully understand the texts of the Quran and Hadith. The course involves the study of numerous texts which cover all aspects of Islam, including a detailed study of Arabic grammar, language, hadeeth, jurisprudence, Tafseer of Quran and Tajweed. It’s a known fact that the medium of instruction in Madrasa education is Arabic while the local language is spoken in the respective States while conversing with the students.
Now, the minister is in hot water after he created a controversy with a series of opposition against his remarks from several quarters. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi pointed to the minister’s own past views in his X page wherein he had rolled out a red carpet to Tabliqi Jamaath. The BJP to garner political gains is unleashing such controversy thereby bringing disharmony among different faiths living in peace.
