Uttar Pradesh madrassa board to discuss change weekly off from Friday to Sunday

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Madrassa Education Board will discuss next month a proposal to change the weekly holiday of madrassas in the state from Friday to Sunday, its chairman Iftikar Ahmed Javed said.

The proposal, which came up during a meeting of the government-appointed board on Tuesday, was opposed by the teachers association of madrassas, saying that effecting the change would send out a wrong message. Javed told PTI that Tuesday's meeting of the Uttar Pradesh Madrassa Education Board was held in connection with making the necessary amendments to 'Uttar Pradesh Non-Government Arabic and Farsi Recognition Administration and Service Regulation - 2016' and was attended by its members and madrassa representatives.

Also Read | Government to develop portal to gather information about madrassas across India: Parliamentary panel report

During the meeting, it was proposed to change the weekly holiday of madrassas in the state from Friday to Sunday, a long-pending demand of various stakeholders, he said. However, representatives of the teachers association of madrassas opposed the proposal in the meeting, he added. Javed said a final decision on the proposal will be taken in a board meeting in January. Diwan Saheb Zaman, Uttar Pradesh general secretary of teachers association Madaris Arabiya, said special arrangements are made for Friday prayers and that is why it's a holiday for madrassas on Fridays. If this system is changed, it will send out the wrong message, he said.

During Tuesday's meeting of the Uttar Pradesh Madrassa Education Board, only a few people had advocated changing the weekly holiday while the others opposed it, he claimed. Madrassas across the country are usually closed on Friday. Friday prayers have a special importance in Islam and in view of the preparations for 'jumma', madrassas remain closed on this day.