Abrupt Closure Order Of Maulana Azad Foundation: An Example Of How Govt's 'Sabka Vikas' Works (Photo on Maulana Azad Education Foundation website)
Raising questions on government’s ‘sabka saath sabka vikas’ promise, the closure of an institution, the backward minority students” one stop for educational scholarships, “Maulana Azad Education Foundation” (MAEF) hit hard thousands of marginalised Muslim students” aspirations.
Established in 1989 to support the educationally backward minority community, the foundation was ordered to carry out its closure process by the central government on February 7. The foundation, named after the first educational minister of independent India Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was somehow notified to be ceased on his death anniversary month. Funded by the minority ministry, government of India, the foundation has been providing financial assistance such as scholarships and grants to six notified minority communities — Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Parsi and Sikh — to pursue MPhils and PhDs.
The closure stagnates the growth of minorities including Muslims who according to several commission findings have no access to quality education due to their social circumstances and historical marginalisation. Delhi University professor Apoorvanand commenting on the government’s decision said that the regime blames Muslims and other minorities for not providing education to their children. Then, the professor continues, the government withdraws foundations such as MAEF declaring it is not interested in improving the minorities’ conditions or spending resources on them, The Quint reported quoting the professor.
According to the findings of the latest 2020-21 All India Survey on Education (AISHE) conducted under the Ministry of Education, the Muslim community is lagging behind all communities in higher education in India. The survey report showed the dismal reality of the community”s marginalisation in education. As the enrollment percentage of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (OBC) in higher education improved over the years, the Muslim community still stood at the bottom, as per AISHE report. Kerala is the only state that showed significant improvement in the higher education enrollment among the community.
Husnara Salim, founder-president of Maulana Azad Foundation for Education and Social Amity (MAFESA), an independent trust to protect Azad’s legacy, opined that the government’s decision to close the foundation is a clear message of the exclusion of Muslims and denial of the right of the minorities.
The sudden decision to order the cessation of the foundation was followed by step-by-step measures of the central government against the project, which included the reduction of funds for the MAEF in its Budgets.
Noting the staggering Budget cut in the fund allocated to the foundation in the 2023-23 financial year, professor Apoorvanand said that the decision reflected the government’s policy mindset of depriving Muslims of their rights. He alleged that the government instilled a sense of impoverishment in the Hindu community by addressing them noting that the Muslims get this and that. He further says that the government then shows they withdraw the foundation and thus stop appeasements.
However, as the foundation was notified to shut down without any justification or reason provided, the employees are also at crossroad as the government informed them that they would be terminated with a one-month notice period.
The scrapping of the foundation that elevated thousands of marginalized minority students” lives and empowered Muslim girls not only deprives minorities of their rights but erases the legacy and efforts of India’s first education minister.
At present, the Delhi High Court is hearing a petition challenging the notification of the government ordering the closure of the foundation and the Court has reserved the verdict after hearing the arguments.
