'Madrasah Chalo' programme launched

Kolkata: State Urban Development minister Firhad Hakim on Monday started 'Madrasah Chalo' programme to ensure communal harmony and patriotism among students and teachers.

"'Madrasah Chalo' is an initiative to eradicate the misconception that Madrasah is breeding grounds for terrorism. It is an educational institute. Madrasahs are not

only Islamic seminaries. It is not a religious institute. It is the former Left Front government, in the language of BJP, had termed Madrasahs as breeding grounds for terrorism," said Hakim, on the sidelines of educational seminar organized by West Bengal Trinamool Madrasah Teachers Association at Haj House in Park Circus on Monday. TMC Rajya Sabha MP Md Nadimul Haque, who is also the chairman of West Bengal State Haj Committee and All India Trinamool Congress (Minority Cell), was also present on the occasion.

"Madrasah Chalo' is a unique programme. We urge teachers to adopt one Madrasah in their area. Take the students to the Madrasah and hoist the national flag and recite the national anthem on Independence Day. Today, Madrasah students and teachers are being targeted and termed unpatriotic. When the small children will sing the national anthem then it will signify unity of India," said Haque. While there are 614 recognised government aided Madrasahs in West Bengal, each has approximately 2,000 students.

The West Bengal Board of Madrasah Education (WBBME) conducts the High Madrasah (Class X), Alim (theology-based education in Class x), and Fazil (Class XII) exams every year.

The pass certificates issued for class X and XII by WBBME is equivalent to Madhyamik Pariksha of West Bengal Board of Secondary Education and West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education.