PATNA: Are madrassas
meant only for Muslim students? Far from it, if
results of Bihar State Madrassa Examination Board
are anything to go by. Pooja Kumari, Preetam Kumari,
Priyanka Kumari and Surya Narayan Sah all students
of Madrassa Islamia, Sandalpur in Araria district
are among 100 Hindu girls and boys who have passed
different grade exams conducted by BSMEB this year.
The results of the madrassa board for Maulvi,
Fauqania and Wastania grade exams, declared on
Monday, showed that about a hundred non-Muslim
students have passed these exams.
Board authorities, who could provide list of
non-Muslim candidates of only Fauqania exam, said 37
of them have passed. They include Sanjay Kumar of
Madrassa Islamia, Khardaur, Sanam Kumari and Sandhya
Kumari of Madrassa Rahmania, Joktia (both in West
Champaran), Rupa Bharti of Madrassa Munamia, Balia (Begusarai)
and Anita Kumari of Madrassa Faiyazul Uloom (Chhapra).
"All non-Muslim examinees were regular students of
madrassas,'' board chairman Maulana Ejaz Ahmad told
TOI on Wednesday. He said he spoke to parents of
many such students who said education at madrassas
was better and their wards were more disciplined. In
fact, the second generation of a former legislator
is getting madrassa education, he added.
This year Muslim girls both outnumbered and outshone
boys in madrassa exam in Fauqania (equivalent to
matric) and Wastania (equivalent to middle). "That
more girls are joining madrassa and persuing
education is an encouraging trend,'' Ahmad said. He
said enrolment of Muslim girls in all districts,
including Muslim-dominated Kishangunj district which
has the lowest literacy among women, has increased.
