Education of Muslims In Bengal

   This full paper was presented in Two Day Conference on “Bengali Muslims at the Crossroads: Possibilities and Challenges"  held by Department of  Mass Communication of Aliah University and  Bengali Academia for Social Empowerment (BASE)

Abstract

  This paper examines the Bengali Muslims: Educational Opportunities: Issues and Concerns. It focuses mainly on the consequences caused by Muslims for being divergent from the flow of education.

   India has been recognized always as an enriched multicultural country. The state classification based on culture was a vain attempt somehow. Bengal has been the soil of invasions, refugee shelters and cultural integration. Settlement of Muslims in the region, whether it was via invasion, catapulted Bengal to further dominions of development. The amalgamation of different knowledge was crucial crystal. As a periodical ambiguity, the power exchange was possible but, the methodology of doing for people was not incredible. Concerning as foreigners, they were detoured from the stature of education through a crypto-conspiracy. As an ensuing result, their all social forums were distorted from the past shape.

   Muslim educational status is going to wane rapidly in Bengal. Their exaggeration in secondary education makes the false belief that Muslims are coming forward. The Muslim minority question arises here that where are Muslims in higher educational hub. Has really Madrasah Board benefited them with the quality education? Whether Bangladesh or West Bengal i.e. Bengal Muslims, despite of being fed with an amount of scholarships and constitutional provisions, can’t contribute something to their community; to their state as though they have stuck in an inherent impasse. Politics of ignorance prevailed in Muslims has affected the integration of different knowledge.

   The halt in the educational progress of Bengali Muslims has deteriorated their own identity. As a consequence, a u-turn is not expected in their upcoming generation too. The Muslim impasse in the realm of education would allow in soon the entrance of annihilation in their unique identity.   

   For completion of this paper, I will use several bibliographic resources as my prime reference.

Introduction

   Muslims of Bengal has been generally recognized as a civilization for the inerasable footprints they have drawn in the sand of passed times. The identity has rolled with uniqueness over heritage, cultural integration, and political prosperity and currently over the stage of impasse. These factors have crucially attracted worldwide attention for deep research and that has been done in several fields too.  The history of medieval Bengal, according to the great Bengali Historian Dr. R.C Majumdar, has been remarked as the ‘Muslim Period’ which ranged from ‘Muhammad Bahktiyar Khilji’ to the ‘Rule of the Nawabs’. In reference to this, ironically it is astonishing that Muslims declined to brink of loss identity being termed ‘deprived community’ in the country and ‘slowest…worst performing’ community in the state. 

   This periodical paradox seeks exact reasons. Among all that ambiguous factors, Muslims starving from lack of education comes with a big question. Political motives has appeased them no to come out from this dark abyss of ignorance. Aided madrasah education bore noting much enough for their progress. Private Institutions have come forward. Somehow, it didn’t become comfortable to all for economic crisis has bigoted their atmosphere of higher education. Thus, they have been circled by the wall of illusive quarantine. As a result, they can’t help contribute something more to update their historical identity. 

A Historical Outlook

   The history of Bengal is the core segment of the Indian history of communal harmony. The collaboration of religions has helped the transmission of knowledge. For instance, the architecture of the time, above some contradictory discussions, depiction of both religions can be seen. Several such pilgrim destinations still can be found in the state. However, some political motives and mischievous thoughts diverted national motion from this view of point. As a consequence, both groups kept an unhygienic feeling towards each other.

   The depiction of some historians in reverse verses has brought a light in this content. R.C Majumdar has stated in his Preface of ‘History of Medieval Bengal’ and put forward the discussion quoting respect readers. However, the destructive actions of distorting history by the historians have made a split between the traditions of Hindu-Muslim unity in the region wider than the actual shape. 

      Now, the question arises about how this communal divergence ensued with the Muslim educational deadlock when a divergence makes more competitive situation. Muslims could had avail this contest of evaluating their status but, it didn’t happened. Indeed, Hindus were not their competitors. A new of hand power was emerging in the occasion of their indigenous adversity. It was the true rival opponent of both parties who exploited them as a monkey meddling in the quarrel of two cats.  Amid these situational complexities, the education of Muslim went through impasse. The traditional way of ‘only education’ was deteriorated and came under conservative religious and material education. Muslim couldn’t come out with own resources or Islamization but, embraced the westernization at a time when they had no door.  If it had been by Muslims’ own discovery and motives, then the ending would not be stuck in the entanglement. At last, the British Monkey returned a turnout of humiliation. More to mention, the quoted text is enough.

“The British not only prevented the opening of new schools in India, but also the madrasas and primary schools which were the foundations and the most salient symbols of the Islamic Shari’at, and they martyred all the scholars and religious authorities who could have led the people.”   

 Some sultans and rulers took an enough attention for the development of vernacular literature. But, contrasting with the invested supremacy of Hindus in all fields this was like a speck of spot. Until the establishment of Calcutta Madrasah and Hooghly Madrasah the Muslim educational process was limited in Maktab-Masjid, Sufi Khanqah and Madrasah which had been accustomed with rules and teachings of traditional education.

Current Status of Bengal Muslim Education: Issues and Opportunities

   The population of Bengal Muslim is increasing rapidly but, their ways and means of lifestyle didn’t get any dimensional development. Muslims in Bengal covered 25.25 % of the population in India  while they accounted for 27% of the state’s population. It is unexpected that such a huge population is suffering from the deprivation of proper quality education which threw them to the all stages of stagnation whether of economy, politics, organization, social standard and dignity.

   Literacy rate of Muslims in West Bengal is at the stake of below average with a rough of 68%. This indicates extreme poor condition of Muslims in the state. The further report of dropout is (22%) extremely appalling. The process of being ‘half baked chicken’ is vividly explicit in gender base statistics. In this low percent of Muslim Education, there is huge difference between male and female. It’s an indispensible factor to be elaborated in this review.

    The Muslim male and female enrollment primary to secondary education is not low too.  This gives a misconception that their new generation is coming forward.  It would be so, if they get a quality education in their Primary and Secondary level. Most of Bengali students generally are not able to go through the basic knowledge in these two levels. Muslim higher education in the state is going probably vacant from the recent history. At present, Muslim men and women don’t step up for higher education for family and maintenance and child marriage respectively.

   Muslim male students as grow up to maturity fathom the instability of his family and break down the educational tie as it doesn’t help to support them. Then they start searching for proper livelihood shouldering the responsibility of family maintenance. At last, they feel sufficed with cheap but, hardworking jobs of laboring in other states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Metro cities are their prime destination.  Even Muslim women are forcibly adjoined with several household works and house maintenance like Biri making. This has bigot the Muslim society so badly.

  The deprivation of Muslim women from higher education seeks some possible reasons. The main hurdle is poverty as it is interconnected with male education countdown. When a Muslim girl reaches teenage, marriage-fear looms before her family for there is bad system of high dowry prevalent in the Bengal Society. That’s why when a father finds comfortable and ease marriage, he forgets the future planning and accept it as he survived a mountain like burden. Another rational reason for slow down of Muslim women’s education in a contrast with non-Muslim women is a societal hindrance. When the state accepts a large population share of Muslim in the country, it bears also some Muslim populated districts like Malda, Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpur and North 24 Parganas. In these Muslim concentrated areas, infrastructural facilities for higher education are so rare. Still, most of colleges in these areas are running with low management and administration consideration. 

   A mischievous mind always tries to utilize the illiterate and unaware people of Bengal. Most of private tuitions in the state are run by school teachers. What they don’t do as a government salary paid teacher, they do as tuition runners. Students get education in their private tuition when they had to get it from same teachers in the school. 

   The state government has taken initial measures to mitigate the problems of Muslim learning by providing several scholarships and stipends. As a result the enrollment of Muslim students has increased rapidly in government aided schools and madrasas. To ensure the education of Muslim women, the state has implemented separate concessions. However, the miserable fact looms at the time of quality and higher education.  

      The opportunities of Muslim learning are not at a low count. In a comparison to other community, they have long applied learning processes which have appeared with its effective influence in their initial phase but, the miserable turnout was when they didn’t cop with modernization and reformation of the system. Even the democratic governments didn’t make them remember with a prospect of Right to Equal Education.  Somehow Muslim has opportunities but, not the concern. Firstly, the opportunity of learning inherited to them from their tradition. Secondly, Indian democracy provides for them. First and second both are imparted to them partially. That’s why their educational empowerment goes through self created impasse.  

   The most effective way of quality education has been dependent on Mission Schools. For instance, Al-Ameen Mission has made a breakthrough achievement in the empowerment of Muslims in educational stream. Still it is partial achievement which draws a line difference of upper and lower class in the community. It meant that such missions are not economically comfortable to the all Muslim. Deprived one can’t bear the annual expense for a mission provided education. Poverty becomes again a big hindrance for the upliftment of Muslim education.

   Addition to this perspective, Kerala Madrasah education system can be followed as their teaching includes religious and material knowledge with enough quality. Darul Huda Islamic University is an epitomized part of this education system. The institution has opened its off campus in West Bengal in Bhimpur village of Birbhum in 2011. Since the year, it provides religious and contemporary knowledge in addition with several languages with same priority in a format comfortable to all without economic damage. To spread the Islamized and modernized educational movement the institution depends on several groundwork which includes the neglected system of Maktab education. 

Remedial Measures

   The study exposes some admirable reasons and hurdles in the education of Bengal Muslims in reverse with other communities in the state.  Without surprising these obstacles, the attempt to uplift their status will go in vain. What a swampy situation they live in is not to be elevated with a wish. It needs some formulated measures and correct implementation without delay.   Following measure can be figured out with a glance into the study explained above.

•       Muslim society has a lack of Clear Guidance to usher them the ways of success. For this reason they remain deprived of proper government concession and career destination too. They have to be aware with constitutional declaration and educational faculty.  So that they can avail of all opportunities they deserve for.

•       The young genre of Bengal Muslim society is accustomed with the same atmosphere of illiteracy of his family. This can be removed only when their parents look after the educational status of their children and become careful to improve and enhance their capability, because an educated family in term of moral and material education depends on the quality and care of the guardian. More specifically, women education has not to be denied as they are first school of children.

•       Poverty Elimination is the first step to mitigate the problem of Muslim education in West Bengal. Muslims have to stand up as dependent not only in self made jobs but, also in entrepreneurship and government sectors. If not their next generation will keep the drop out too.

•       In many occasion discrimination against minority resists their empowerment. Muslim minority face this discrimination even in educational stream. As the paper has sought the state discrimination in many several educational facilities including academic infrastructure and quality education. So a pure intention of government without discrimination can help develop the status of Bengal Muslim education.   

•       Muslim of Bengal should know that they are exploited in the name of education when they work for it and don’t get the quality education. Not only private institution, government aided Madrasah should update its teaching and management system. So that Madrasah students can stand with school students when the syllabus and all curricula are same.      

Conclusion

    From this analysis, in a nutshell, it can be said that Bengal Muslim has slipped down to the bottom status of development from the late history of great intelligentsia. They are now amid an impasse in educational sector. It is quite paradoxical state for them. This is the consequence of many interior and exterior hindrances they are stuck in. Poor socio-economic condition of West Bengal Muslim has left them behind so far in all field of progress.  Their education is the severe victim of the deadlock. The lack of a quality education system has caused this ensuing result that they neither try to get and no power sincerely proceeded to give. They have been hunted by the exploitation, discrimination and false appeasment. Still some private powers are in a sheer attempt to uplift their status but, that has not gain any momentum. They are entangled with many issues, they have opportunities but, they need correct implementation. Muslim needs a rapid change in their all steps following the quality education.

References

•        Dr. A K M Yaqub Ali, Preaching of Islam and Dissemination of Learning in Medieval Bengal

•        History of Muslim Education in Bengal

•        Kamruzzaman Mollah, Saradindu Bera. Status of Muslim Education in India: Problems and Concerns, (AMIERJ)

•        M Siddik Gumus, Confessions of a British Spy and British Enmity, against Islam, Turkey

•        Md Musharuddin Sk. Educational Mobility Of Muslims In Rural West Bengal: A Study of Villages In The District Of Murshidabad, (IDJTSA)

•        Md. Zaharul Hoque. Muslim Education in Murshidabad District of West Bengal: Problems and Solutions, (IJHSSS)

•        Mosarrap H Khan, The Construction of Bengali Muslim Identity in the  Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century, (Café Dissensus, 2017)

•        R.C Majumdar, History of Medieval Bengal

•        Roots of Separatism in 19th Century Bengal

•        Tabussum Saba, Madan Mohan Chell, S Rehan Ahmad. Education as powerful weapon for empowering Muslim women in West Bengal, (IJAER)

•        Tasneem Shazli, Sana Asma. Educational Vision of Muslims in India: Problems and Concerns, (IJHSS)