A month after the Madhya Pradesh government told madrasas to mandatorily hoist the Tricolour and organise a Tiranga Rally on the occasion of Independence Day, state School Education Minister Vijay Shah on Friday appealed to madrasas to unfurl the Tricolour and make students sing the national anthem daily to instill patriotism among them.
Speaking at a function to mark the 20th foundation day of the MP Madarsa Board here, the minister said madrasas follow all rules laid down by the school department. “Regular schools unfurl the Tricolour and sing the national anthem daily. I appeal to all madrasas in MP to unfurl the Tricolour and sing the national anthem daily. I don’t think anybody should have a problem with that. Nobody has,’’ he said.
The minister congratulated the board for working to develop “nationalistic ideology” among its students. Shah had recently announced that students of government schools in Satna district would answer the daily roll call with ‘Jai Hind’ from October 1.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was chief guest at the function, said, “How to love one’s country and help it march ahead should be part of school curriculum’’. He also said the Prophet stressed on loving one’s country.
The board, under its chairman Syed Imad Uddin, is already engaged in an exercise to revise its curriculum on the theme “Vatan Se Mohabbat Ka Islam Dharma Mein Kya Mahatva Hai (What is the importance of love for one’s country in Islam)”.
The Chief Minister said students should be taught love, brotherhood and patriotism. “We drink the same water and eat the same food and our blood is red. We can follow different faiths,’’ he said after felicitating the best madrasas, best teachers and meritorious students.
Emphasising the need to impart modern education in madrasas, Chouhan said education that makes students struggle for jobs is meaningless. “We should skill them and make them competent enough to face life’s challenges. On one hand, there is joblessness and on the other, there is a lack of skilled people.’’
Responding to the board chairman’s request, the CM increased the amount given by the state government every year to each madrasa for creating infrastructure from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000.
