Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), a vibrant students movement in the country, has been sailing its course with ardent zeal and bubbling enthusiasm coupled with clear mission in view since its inception in 1982. In the beginning its areas of operation were Islamic Dawah among students and youth, Tarbiyah and social service. Gradually it focused its activities on students, educational institutions and education, and reached many milestones.
The fifth and sixth terms of SIO may well be called the terms of educational institutions. After the demolition of Babri Masjid in December 1992 the changed scenario in the country caused many trials and tribulations to Muslims. Bailing students and youth out of this scenario and restoring their confidence, the organisation succeeded in instilling in them a strong sense of rendering services to the country and the community. In the sixth term, from 1993 to 1995, the organisational activities moved around students and educational institutions, and it was resolved that neither the community can progress nor can the country move onto the path of growth and development unless an organised educational movement is run.
The spell of social backwardness, diminishing educational standard and communal flare-ups in North India dampened the gusto of youth. Hence concerted efforts aimed at educational awareness and progress in North India. A 3-day North India conference was held in Patna in November 1996, which instilled great zeal and enthusiasm in students and youth. About 30,000 students and youth participated in the conference. Then commenced what may be called an educational revolution in States of North-East, West Bengal, Bihar (including what is now Jharkhand), Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. This resulted in a large number of students joining this caravan.
The activities of SIO from 1997 till 2007 focused on students, educational institutions and education. During this period great efforts were made to inspire and enthuse students and youth to excel in education. Efforts were also made to create a literate society by highlighting the importance and significance of education through an educational awareness campaign among millions of students in the country.
Many other campaigns like educational conference, students conference, meet the students and back to school campaigns were organised to promote education. Career planning and counselling programmes were organised at large scale in villages, talukas, towns and even metro cities. Programmes like educational caravans and let’s make a better tomorrow aimed at removing illiteracy and creating an educated society. During this decade, SIO started bringing out its monthly organ Rafeeq-e-Manzil in Hindi and The Companion in English along with Rafeeq-e-Manzil in Urdu. SIO is the first students organisation which started printing magazines for students and youth at the countrywide level in Urdu, Hindi and English. Through these magazines the organisation published articles on educational issues and ran a career guidance series to provide proper guidance for the reading public. With special issues of these magazines the organisation provided educational and ideological guidance for lakhs of students.
In 2007 the organisation took out an educational caravan with the slogan of Redefining Education, Regaining Struggle and Renovating Society. A discussion on Redefining Education started at the countrywide level. Many programmes were organised to present the Islamic concept of education under Philosophy of Knowledge and Education programme series. During the 2009-12 term a Draft on National Education Agenda was prepared to present the educational ideology of SIO to the Government. Also, during the process of preparation of National Curriculum Framework the organisation advanced suggestions to the Government. To ensure peaceful students union elections the committee headed by Justice Lyngdoh invited suggestions from the various students organisations as well as educationists. SIO made a comprehensive study of the subject and submitted its recommendations to the Justice Lyngdoh Committee which accepted these recommendations and incorporated them in its document. SIO also launched a countrywide protest against the Government’s bid to spread nudity in the name of sex education and submitted a memorandum thereon to the Parliamentary Committee.
During the current decade, SIO has paid special attention to education, campus and education policy and made various efforts in this regard. When the NDA Government decided to introduce New Education Policy and sought suggestions from educationists, SIO under Shiksha Samvad programme initiated Education Dialogue with students, educationists, teachers and other experts in almost every State. After holding such dialogues at hundreds of places, SIO submitted a detailed draft to the HRD Ministry. It also organised a media meet on Indianisation of Education, in which it expressed grave concern on saffronisation of education in New Education Policy and on sustained promotion of a particular ideology. An SIO team made a detailed study of introducing saffron content in school curricula of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and published a booklet on its findings, which was widely acclaimed in the educational circle.
An India Islamic International Conference on Islamic Epistemology was organised on 8-9 October 2016, in which research scholars from many countries presented papers on the fundamental concepts of Islamic education.
SIO staged protests at the countrywide level on the issue of introducing Urdu as one of the mediums in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission in MBBS and BDS courses. In view of the problems faced by millions of students, the organisation wrote letters to the concerned department and exerted pressure on the Government to include Urdu in NEET but the Government did not seem to budge. Then the organisation moved the Supreme Court, which directed the Government to include Urdu in NEET. Thus millions of students will get benefited with this move of SIO in the future NEET exams.
Likewise, SIO staged a protest at UGC headquarters on the issue of restoring UGC-NET twice a year instead of only once a year, and talked to the UGC authorities. But since no solution was there in sight, the organisation moved the court, which gave the verdict in favour of students. After the court verdict, the UGC issued a notification announcing to conduct UGC-NET twice a year. Thus the SIO move helped restore this higher studies facility for thousands of students.
SIO is running North India Educational Movement from three places to address the issue of educational backwardness in North India. Focusing on school education, girl education and higher education, this is a giant move aimed at effecting educational upliftment in North India.
Thus the educational activities of SIO have carved milestones in the field of policymaking and philosophy of education as well as educational awareness.
[The writer is former National Secretary, SIO of India]