Federation of Madrasas, Manipur (FMM) along with the Manipur State Minorities Commission organised a seminar-cum-workshop on “Setting up of Madrasa Board and Madrasa Modernisation,” at the conference hall of Sadr Bazaar Jame Masjid in Imphal on July 30. About 50 Islamic scholars associated with several madrasas of Manipur along with many officials and leaders of the community took part in the seminar.
The seminar was organised to chalk out a feasible plan for modernisation of madrasas in Manipur by instituting a Madrasa Board. The keynote address of the seminar was made by Mufti Salatur Rahman, Secretary FMM. Other speakers included Mufti Abdullah of Mazahrul Uloom Mayang Imphal; Maulana Nuruddin, Principal of Madrasa Alia, Lilong; Maulana Idris Quasmi, Mohtamim of Madrasa Darul-Uloom, Lilong; Maulana Ataur Rahman, Zilla Parishad, Sangaiyumpham; Manipur State Minorities Commission Chairperson MA Halim Choudhury (IAS Retd.), Deputy Secretary, MOBC, MA Salam; Chairman State Haj Committee and Manipur, Md. Abdul Salam.
Abdul Rahman Khan (IAS), Commissioner, Labour and Employment, was the moderator of the seminar. Almost all the speakers in the seminar noted the importance of modernising the madrasas in the state by introducing modern subjects like Science, Mathematics, Computer, English, etc. and recognise the certificates issued by the madrasas so that the madrasa students could pursue general education if they wish and apply for jobs. In order to streamline the madrasas, the state has to institute a Madrasa Board, the speakers pointed out. However, all the speakers resolved to have more discussions and not to make any hasty decision.
Many of the speakers suggested institution of a committee of experts to study and examine the various models of madrasa boards existing in many of the states, and also to monitor the steps taken up by the Central government regarding the modernisation of madrasas. The seminar discussed the models of the Madrasa Boards of Assam and West Bengal. Madrasa Boards exist in UP, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal and Assam. The seminar also resolved that FMM and other leaders of the community will have a meeting with the Chief Minister of Manipur to discuss about the feasibility of instituting the Madrasa Board in Manipur.
The seminar was organised in response to the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry’s proposal to initiate the programme of modernising the madrasas in the country. The programme of madrasa modernisation, now drafted in the form of a bill for Central Madrasa Board, includes the proposal for institution of a Central Madrasa Board on the lines of CBSE, introducing modern/secular subjects like English, Mathematics, Science, Computer, etc.; making the pay-scale of madrasa teachers equivalent to that of government teachers; training of the teachers, infrastructural development of the madrasas, etc. However, opposition by leading Muslim organisations and madrasas has stalled the bill. They contended that the proposed move would strip the madrasas of their ‘Islamic character.’
There are at present 72 madrasas and 97 maktabs in Manipur registered to the Wakf Board Manipur. The madrasas are spread in the four districts of the state – 16 in Imphal East district, 19 in Imphal West district, 31 in Thoubal district, and six in Bishnupur district. There are 238 registered masjids in the state.
Muslims from the state started moving out for Islamic studies in the late 19th century. The first batch of Aalims returned after the completion of their Islamic studies from the madrasas of Meerut, Rampur, Lahore, Delhi, Dhaka, Cachar, etc. in the early part of the 20th century. Maulana Obeidullah, a native of Irong Chesaba Mayai Leikei (in Thoubal district) was the first Muslim from Manipur who graduated from a madrasa. Obeidullah, born in 1844, had his Islamic studies at Madrasa Phulbara in East Bengal (now Bangladesh).
It was this early batch of Aalims who took the initiative of establishing maktabs and madrasas in Manipur. However, the first madrasa established by Manipuri Muslims was not in Manipur but in Cachar, Assam. Cachar has a sizable population of Manipuri Muslims, who fled Manipur when the region was occupied by the Burmese for seven years in the early part of the 19th century. Haji Hafiz Akbar Ali, a Manipuri Muslim of Cachar established Madrasa Darul Uloom Baskandi in Cachar, in 1921. Hafiz Akbar Ali was also the President of Jamiat-ul-Ulema-e-Hind Assam. Today Madrasa Darul Uloom Baskandi is one of the oldest and biggest madrasa in North-east India.
Madrasa Alia, Lilong; Madrasa Azizia, Khumidok; Madrasa Hussainia Ashrafia, Yairipok; Madrasa Halimia Madnia, Khergao; Madrasa Mazharul Uloom, Mayang Imphal; Madrasa Islamia Jafaria, Sangaiyumfam; Madrasa Darul Uloom (Markaz), Lilong; Madrasa Imdadul Islam, Khelakhong; and Kasimpur Alia Madrasa, Jiribam are some of the prominent madrasas in Manipur. Alia Madrasa was established in 1944. Madrasa Darul-Uloom, the biggest madrasa in Manipur, was established at Lilong in 1980 on the line of the Darul-Uloom of Deoband (U.P). At present the madrasa has four branches and around 800 boarding and non-boarding students. The madrasa also runs a Yateem Khana (Orphanage) in Lilong, and has around 500 orphan children. Darul-Uloom has also constituted Dar-al-Ifta, to issue registered fatwas.
Madrasa Azizia, a residential madrasa for girls, was established at Khumidok, in Imphal East in 1978-79. Today the madrasa has around 300talibat studying in different classes. There are many other madrasas for girls, namely Madrasa Imdadia Banatus Salihat, Thoubal; Darul Yatama Lil Banat, Lilong; Madrasa Jamiat-ul Tarihat, Irong Chesaba; Madrasa Roujatus Salihat, Bengoon, among others.
Jamiat-ul-Ulema Manipur, a branch of the All-India Jamiat-ul-Ulema-i-Hind, constituted in 1962, looked after the madrasas in Manipur. The Jamiat, in general, serves as the Board for the madrasas in Manipur. Every madrasa in Manipur has to take letter of consent and authorisation from the Jamiat.
Madrasas are managed by the community’s collective efforts through public subscription, donation and contribution from the rich and affluent Muslims of the state, over and above zakat (alms). Most of the madrasas organise annual conference or charity feast, inviting Muslims from far and wide to collect fund.