Politics of Minority Educational Institutions — Law and Reality in the Subcontinent Edited by Tahir Mahmood, Imprint, Rs 495

Minority rights have become a favourite subject of discussion among politicians in India. But that is about it. Nothing much has been done by way of securing the educational rights of minority communities. If one political party tries to uphold the rights of minorities, others oppose such a demand in order to keep their vote banks intact. As a result of this political one-upmanship, the real issue gets swept under the carpet .

Even after sixty years of independence, minorities in India have remained in the periphery of development. They have been caught up in a vicious circle and, consequently, have not been able to make much progress. Ironically, political and judicial activism has ended up erecting hurdles rather than removing them. The narrow political interests of political outfits have also resulted in the stagnation of minority educational institutions. Thus, minorities running their own educational institutions have remained more of a myth in our country.

It is perhaps pertinent to note that few books are written on minority educational institutions. The few that get written are not in English. The present volume is an exception to this rule. It not only addresses the question of politics but it also shows the impact politics has had on minority educational institutions over the years. This book has been edited by Tahir Mahmood, a former chairman of the National Minorities Commission. It consists of several interesting essays, along with a foreword by Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer.

The essays have been divided into three separate sections, according to their style and content. The final section includes appendices that contain recommendations on minority educational institutions as well as reactions to the report published by the Sachar Committee.

The opening chapters comprise articles that have been mostly written by legal experts who examine the question from a technical point of view. The technical nature of the content does not make the book monotonous. This is because the contributors have taken care to ensure that they look at the question from different points of view. For instance, the essays written by both Anil Wilson and Swami Agnivesh are incisive and offer suggestive insights. Similarly, Soli J. Sorabjee’s contribution stands out for its pedagogic content while M.P. Raju’s article is likely to generate heated discussions among readers who are interested in this topic. On the whole, this particular section is unlikely to evoke an enthusiastic response from the lay reader. However, it would provide members of the legal fraternity with a wealth of information.

The second section, containing detailed information on minority institutions in India, remains the most interesting segment of this particular book. Here, Muslim and Sikh educational institutions such as Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia Milia Islamia, Jamia Hamdard, Khalsa College, Punjabi University and so on have been dealt with in an extensive manner. Surprisingly, Christian and other minority institutions have been left out from this list. The essays provide authentic information on the history and tradition of each institution. The chapters also add to the existing knowledge about madrasa education which was pioneered by gifted individuals such as Arshad Alam, Uzma Naheed and Yoginder Sikand. This kind of knowledge is especially useful when it comes to dispense with false notions that have got internalized in the collective consciousness in recent times. After all, the jihadis have given madrasa education a bad name. The merger of minority educational institutions with the history of madrasas throws new light on this topic. The information that comes out as a result of this convergence would surprise the experts in this field.

The final section, on the other hand, offers a comparative analysis between minority educational institutions in India and other nations such as Pakistan, the United States of America and the United Kingdom. Roman Catholics, Presbyterians as well as members of other religious communities have founded their own educational institutions in Pakistan. Here, the Hindus and the Parsis are also free to practise their own religion and establish institutions to impart education. However, if there was some information available on the situation in Nepal and in Bangladesh, it would have given the readers the complete picture.

The central theme in this book takes up the question of the right of minorities to run educational centres. But the contributors have also pointed out how many of these institutions get embroiled in political and judicial wrangles. Consequently, many of them are languishing in a state of apathy. Most of the contributors have succeeded in putting their points across in a forceful manner. However, it remains to be seen whether they manage to stir the conscience of an indifferent nation.