Dear Shri Arjun Singh ji,
            It was reported that the Cabinet had approved establishment of the Central Madrasa Board on the lines of the CBSE. It was widely expected that the Government may introduce the draft Bill in December 2008 Session of the Parliament. But it was not, perhaps because the proposal was opposed by all Muslim organizations particularly by the JUH, JIH and the Markazi Jamaat e Ahle Hadees. Even those who had earlier adopted a soft attitude towards the proposed Central Madrasa Board were put off by the de facto abolition of all High Madrasas in West Bengal under the cover of establishing a Madrasa University. The Government of West Bengal had introduced normal secondary and higher secondary courses of study and syllabi in the High Madrasas recognized by it, with only a slight change, addition to Islamic Studies with one paper of 100 marks. It was universally recognized and the products of such madrasas and of the Madrasa University which would seek to supervise them, will not be religious scholars in any sense of the term although they may become qualified to pursue higher education which would improve their employability in public or private sector and diversify their opportunities. This was seen in the context of the fact that many Muslim graduates and post-graduates from the universities not only in West Bengal but all over the country were facing unemployment because of prevailing bias and discrimination. The products of these institutions would therefore be unable, on one hand, to provide the functional services of religious nature for the community and, on the other, very few of them would land non-religious jobs. Everyone had also this in view that only 3-4% of the Muslim students who complete elementary education or its equivalent study in madrasas. From the Muslim point of view, therefore, the problem was effective universalisation of school and college education for the Muslim youth and not the modernization of the madrasas which in any case had been taken in hand by the leading religious seminaries themselves in order to broaden the outlook and widen the knowledge of their products and to make them more suitable for providing religious guidance to the community. Whatever be the reason, we welcome the fact that the Government had not hurriedly introduced the Central Madrasa Board Bill or passed it.

Our presumption is that the idea was to allow further public discussion and to evolve a consensus in the community. I am writing this to request you that the draft Bill or the Scheme as approved by the Cabinet should be made public so that a fruitful discussion can take place on various stages at which the madrasa stream and the school stream can be joined to the advantage of the Muslim youth.

These can take the form of creation of a Central Fund for the Improvement of the Madrasas, which eligible madrasas may voluntarily draw upon to improve their facilities, to obtain teaching material that they lack or to employ additional teachers on non-religious subjects. Secondly all universities may open their doors for the holders of Sanads from nationally eminent madrasas, equivalent to higher secondary and degrees for admission to higher university courses in secular subjects after qualifying in bridge courses.
It has also been suggested that similar facilities be provided to the students of Sanskrit Patshalas.
            I may add that the long debated idea of the formation of a Markazi Madaris Board by the community itself, to which the leading madrasa in the country may be affiliated, is also being actively considered by the religious leaders of the community and heads of eminent Madrasas.