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Breaking the myth that madrassas employ only Muslims, an Annual Orientation Course conducted by the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has - for the first time - witnessed participation from as many as eight Hindu teachers.

"Hindu teachers have evinced interest in the orientation course, which began at the AMU last week, signifying a change in their attitude towards madrassas," AMU spokesman Rahat Abrar told.

Abrar said that the AMU had been conducting the course for the past several years but a Hindu teacher never attended it. They are part of 28 madrassa teachers from Uttar Pradesh, who are taking part in the programme.

Abrar said that it was also reflective of a will on the part of the madrassas to change in accordance with the changing times.

"It shows that the madrassas are not the domain of Muslim teachers only...Hindus can also be appointed there," he added.

The course is aimed at improving the teaching skills of madrassa teachers.

Significantly the Hindu teachers, who got enrolled for the course, hail from districts in eastern Uttar Pradesh such as Baharaich and Shravasti, which have a sizeable Muslim population.

Keeping in view of the response from non-Muslim teachers, the AMU has decided to utilise the services of voluntary organisations to encourage more non-Muslim teachers to take part in the course, he said.

The AMU is also ready to increase the intake from about 30 teachers presently to accommodate more non-Muslim madrassa teachers in the course, Abrar said.

Muslim teachers associated with the madrassas here term it as a positive development which would go a long way in removing the "misunderstanding" among non-M

M J AKHTAR
The Indian EXPRESS
BARODA, GUJARAT