From: ag3l+@ANDREW.CMU.EDU (Arun K. Gupta)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Education: Muslims in Tamil Nadu:2
Date: 7 Apr 92 18:03:23 GMT
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[Continuation]

Educational Landscape of Tamil Nadu: Muslim Contribution.

by N.A. Ameer Ali

Technical Institutions

The latest trend in Tamil Nadu is the birth of Technical Institutions.
A large number of polytechnics, engineering colleges and I.T.I.s have
dotted the educational landscape in Tamil Nadu. Muslims have also
contributed their share by starting two engineering colleges, four
polytechnics and ten I.T.Is.  `Industrialize and Prosper' is the motto
of one of these institutions. To offer technical education and training
to youth seems to be the motivating factor for Muslims starting these
institutions. One I.T.I.  in Villipuram offers a course in civil
draughtsmanship to girls.

In Tamil Nadu private effort has contributed to the promotion of
education to a very great extent. Philanthropic individuals as well as
groups of individuals forming themselves into associations have helped
education grow in Tamil Nadu. This is true of all religious groups. At
all the three levels of education - primary, secondary and tertiary--
private institutions are far more in number than govt. institutions. In
fact private enterprise has been sharing the responsibility of meeting
the growing demands of education with the government in a big way.

The following are a few of the well known associations founded by
Muslims to work for the cause of education:

1)Muslim Educational Association of South India
2)Vaniyambadi Muslim Educational Society, Vaniyambadi
3)Muslim Women's Association, Madras
4)Illayangudi Muslim Educational Association, Illayangudi
5)South India Education Trust, Madras
6)Uswathun Hasna Association, Kilakarai
7)Ambur Educational Society, Ambur
8)Anjuman-e-Mufid-e-Ahle-Islam, Madras
9)Anjuman-e-Himayathe-Islam, Madras
10)Abiramam Muslim Educational Society, Abiramam
(This list is not exhaustive.)

To quote Mr. M.D. Sundaravadivelu, former Director of Education and
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Madras, `Though Muslims are a
minority, their contribution to education is four-fold greater.' While
inaugurating the S.I.E.T. Women's College Majlis, a former Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court of India, Mr. V.R. Krishna Iyer, said:
`The S.I.E.T. Women's College is one of the finest examples of
democratic behaviour in secular India, where an institution run by a
minority community caters to the majority community.'

This is true of all the Muslim institutions of Tamil Nadu. The
percentage of Muslims in these institutions ranges from 15 to 50,
except in Urdu schools and in a few schools which are located in Muslim
majority areas. An important fact to be borne in mind is that but for
these institutions, at least 50 percent of the educated Muslims would
not have been educated.

Though women's education among Muslims has not been up to the desired
level, there are signs of hope. There is an awakening, so to say, among
them, and Muslim girls are taking to higher education and are coming up
as doctors, engineers, lawyers, and professors. A new phenomenon in
this area is that a large number of girls from lower middle class
families are thronging the portals of not only arts and science
colleges but also medical, engineering and other professional colleges.
A larger number of scholarships offered to meet their hostel and other
charges may motivate many more girls to go in for higher studies.

Among voluntary organisations, there are some student and youth
organizations and an association of Muslim graduates. Student
organisations perhaps follow the pattern of the student Christian
movement. The Students Islamic Movement (SIM) and the Students Islamic
Organization (SIO) organize Muslim students studying in various
colleges and work for their welfare. One of them has a monthly
bulletin. Books on Islam are also being made available to students by
them.

Muslim graduates have organised themselves into an association called
Tamil Nadu Muslim Graduates Association. They have been active mainly
at Madras, and have organised  successfully a seminar on Muslim Women's
Rights. A little more effort on their part should result in offering
counseling in employment prospects to fresh graduates.
The Organization of Muslim Educational Institutions, Associations and
Trusts of Tamil Nadu (OMEIAT) is an apex organization of all Muslim
educational institutions, etc.. Born as a result of the the Muslim
Educational Conference held in 1973 at Madras, this body has enrolled
161 schools, 12 colleges, 57 associations, 11 engineering and technical
institutions and 34 other institutions.  It was able to seek the help
of courts of law to establish certain minority rights. Moreover the
Directorate of Education and govt.al authorities used to give it a
patient hearing when it represented matters regarding grievances of its
members. On the whole, OMEIAT has been serving as a useful federating
body, the cause of Muslim education in Tamil Nadu.

The Govt. of Tamil Nadu has classified Muslims as a backward class,
eligible for educational concessions.  This official recognition of
Muslim backwardness and the consequent compensatory actions by the way
of concessions has gone a long way towards educational upliftment of
the community. Perhaps Tamil Nadu is among the few states which have
afforded these facilities to Muslims. Though the number of Muslim
doctors, engineers, judges, lawyers, professors, etc., belonging to
both sexes is still not very significant, yet there are many more now
than at the time of Independence.

This is the state of Tamil Nadu education.

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