What if I tell you that Kashmir is turning into a paradise for religious business? You will be shocked to hear that many self-styled clerics have made darsgah (religious seminary) the centre of business.
Earlier, there were only a few Darasghahs in the valley which were well managed by the authorities and the facilities provided to the children were good enough especially for the students.
Every day we see a huge number of vehicles with loudspeaker asking for donations in city streets and villages too, have we ever wondered why people from one district go to another district to collect donations? Because new small seminaries are being built by self-made clerics to earn their livelihood as it costs no money to run your own seminary.
Children are being treated like animals in such seminaries. I once saw that children were washing their clothes with cold water on bank of a stream in the bitter cold in Bandipora district of North Kashmir. When I spoke to them, one of them said that they use the same cold water daily for bathing and wudu(ablution) etc as their Darasghah lacks proper infrastructure.The seminary they were staying in was poorly built and one of the student was standing on the road side with a receipt book from the same Madrasa to collect donations from commuters.
Who forced them to study there when we have so many good Madarasas in the valley as well as in Bandipora district?
Every child has the right to live happily, self styled religious clerics treat students in such Madrasas like animals.
Recently, a case where teachers was booked for beating a minor student was reported. Thus, times have changed; corporal punishment is banned in schools, daycare and alternative child care institutions, but alas! no-one dares to talk about the hardships faced by minors un these seminaries.
Such Darasghah lack proper registration and get no funds from any Madrasa organizations. Self styled clerics force student to collect donations.
Article 24 of the Indian constitution clearly states that, “No child below the age of fourteen years shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or employed in any hazardous employment.”
When there are laws and regulations for everyone in the world, why are these self-made clerics are set free to do whatever they want?
Such a small self-made seminary should be regulated by the Waqf Board or the administration only with terms and conditions.
Ab.Basit Khawaja
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