Hindu students take to madrassa education

PATNA: Are madrassas meant only for Muslim students? Far from it, if results of Bihar State Madrassa Examination Board are anything to go by.
Pooja Kumari, Preetam Kumari, Priyanka Kumari and Surya Narayan Sah all students of Madrassa Islamia, Sandalpur in Araria district are among 100 Hindu girls and boys who have passed different grade exams conducted by BSMEB this year.

The results of the madrassa board for Maulvi, Fauqania and Wastania grade exams, declared on Monday, showed that about a hundred non-Muslim students have passed these exams.

Board authorities, who could provide list of non-Muslim candidates of only Fauqania exam, said 37 of them have passed. They include Sanjay Kumar of Madrassa Islamia, Khardaur, Sanam Kumari and Sandhya Kumari of Madrassa Rahmania, Joktia (both in West Champaran), Rupa Bharti of Madrassa Munamia, Balia (Begusarai) and Anita Kumari of Madrassa Faiyazul Uloom (Chhapra).

"All non-Muslim examinees were regular students of madrassas,'' board chairman Maulana Ejaz Ahmad told TOI on Wednesday. He said he spoke to parents of many such students who said education at madrassas was better and their wards were more disciplined. In fact, the second generation of a former legislator is getting madrassa education, he added.

This year Muslim girls both outnumbered and outshone boys in madrassa exam in Fauqania (equivalent to matric) and Wastania (equivalent to middle). "That more girls are joining madrassa and persuing education is an encouraging trend,'' Ahmad said. He said enrolment of Muslim girls in all districts, including Muslim-dominated Kishangunj district which has the lowest literacy among women, has increased.