Proposal to Teach Ramayana at Uttarakhand Madrassas Draws Flak

Days after Chairman of Uttarakhand Waqf Board Shadab Shams said that Ramayana would be taught at the Madrassas affiliated with the Waqf, Jamiat Ulema Uttarakhand Maulana Mohammad Arif termed the move as interference in religious matters while Akil Ahmed, who heads the Aam Insaan Vikas Party said that a similar diktat should be issued for Gurukuls to teach Qur'an to the Hindu students.

Dehradun: The Jamiat Ulema Uttarakhand has flayed the decision of the Uttarakhand Waqf Board to teach Ramayana at the Muslim seminaries in the state terming the move an interference in the religious matters. Former Congress leader Akil Ahmed has also slammed the Uttarakhand Waqf Board over the move. The Chairman of Uttarakhand Waqf Board Shadab Shams on Jan 25 said that the story of Lord Ram (Ramayana) will be made part of the syllabus at madrasas affiliated to the Uttarakhand Waqf Board from the upcoming academic session starting in March this year.

But President of Jamiat Ulema Uttarakhand Maulana Mohammad Arif said that the Hindu scripture was being imposed on the Muslim children. “By doing this, these people want to distance the community from religion,” Arif said. Arif said in strong words that he himself is the principal of a madrasa adding they will never be able to follow the diktat. “This will not be tolerated under any circumstances. If any decision is taken then that decision is first discussed and then brought to the board, but such statements are being made merely for vote bank,” he added.

Former Congress leader Akil Ahmed, who now heads the Aam Insaan Vikas Party too hit out at the Uttarakhand Waqf board Shadab Shams for the move. Akil Ahmed said that India is a secular country and everybody was free to practise own religion. “If the government wants to teach Ramayana in madrassas, then they should also give orders to teach Quran Sharif in Hindi and English schools as well as educational institutions like Gurukuls,” Akil said.

Akil Ahmed said that his party will protest from the streets to the assembly against teaching of Ramayana in madrassas and implementation of Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand. Amid the backlash, Uttarakhand Waqf Board Chairman Shadab Shams seems to be adamant on his statement and decision. Shams said that the board will teach Ramayana in its 170 madrassas adding “those who feel that it is being imposed on them should not teach it in madrassas, but we are going to start it here”.

Over the protest against the decision, Shams said that they are “all running the shop of hatred”.