Most of the students belong to families of agricultural labourers or daily wage earners. The guardians, who themselves lack formal education, have no hesitation in sending their wards to these institutes or having them study Arabic or Islamic Studies. These two subjects are compulsory in senior classes in madrasas and students have to appear for them in their Class X exam under the West Bengal Board of Madrasa Education.
Kanika Roy, studying in Class X, is one of the best students in Arabic at the Orgram Chatuspalli Madrasa. She can recite “suras” from the Quran and read Arabic as well as her Muslim friends. She also knows the biographies of Islamic saints and one of her favourites is Begum Rokeya, a Muslim social reformer from Bengal.
At the madrasa, students in lower classes get books free of cost while all girl students are given school uniforms in each session.
“What will the children do studying only religious scripts? Instead, we lay more emphasis on teaching science and mathematics,” says Headmaster Anwar Hussain.
The madrasa started in a thatched hut in 1975 on land donated by locals. It was affiliated to the West Bengal Board of Madrasa Education in 1980, and in 2005 was granted the status of a High madrasa.
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3:45 AM
Moderate Islamist here
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