GUWAHATI: The Assam Government is firm on its stand to end the funding of religious educational institutes through taxpayers’ money. A bill to this respect has been tabled in the Assam Assembly on Monday.
This was announced by Assam Health and Education Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma. “A bill to repeal the provincialisation of Madrassas, aiming to end the practice of running Madrassa by the Assam government has been introduced today. We have tabled the bill in the assembly. The state government in its cabinet meeting has decided that after this bill is passed, the State Madrassa Board will be dissolved and Madrassas will be converted or transferred into normal educational institutions,” said Dr. Sarma.
Dr. Sarma said that it was not a right to fund the teachings of one or a few selected religions through public money. The education minister explained the government’s stand, “We are not against teachings of any religion. A government cannot be one-sided. If education is imparted on Islamic religious teachings by the government using tax-payers money, then the government is also bound to pay for the teachings of other religions like Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhist, Sikh, Tribal religions, Christianity etc.”
Taking on the opposition of the bill by AIUDF the minister said that it was their right to oppose against it but the government is firm on its stand.
“If we take Assam towards that direction then the schools will educate the students more on religious teachings than mathematics and science. So, to secure the future of the state we have decided on this. The opposition has the rights to protest, oppose, but the government is firm on its stand to get the bill passed,” added Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma.
