Positive news is coming from across the country as Muslims students are emerging successful in competitive exams as well as securing top ranks in schools.
*Shaista Neelu secured the top rank in the highly prestigious CLAT-2010 examination which was held for admission in the law institutes and universities of the country.
Shaista who hails from UP secured the first rank in the Common Law Admission Test [CLAT] held for admission in elite law schools which gives guaranteed and highly paying jobs.
1. Two sons of a policeman killed by Naxalites got into IIT. Yasir and Aman both fulfilled the dream of their father Abdul Wahid Khan, slain inspector, who wanted his sons to get into IIT or crack civil services.
Khan was killed last year in Chhattisgarh. This year both the boys cracked the IIT-JEE. Chief Minister Raman Singh visited the residence to congratulate the boys. This is similar to Shah Faesal* story.
2. Muslim students of Bihar's Rahmani 30 coaching class achieved higher ranks compared to last year. The number of successful students was less compared to last year, but it must be kept in mind that the fledgling institute established by Maulana Wali Rahmani with the help of Mr Abhayananda has shown a way. Also, this year famed coaching institutes including Kota and Bansal classes failed to repeat the levels of past success.
3. S Jasmine Bano who hails from Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu topped the High School board exam by security 495 marks out of 500. Her father Daud goes door-to-door selling clothes while mother Noorjehan is a housewife. Jasmine also doesn't come from privileged background.
4. Muslim students have either topped or secured place in intermediate exams' merit lists in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh where separate merit lists have been announced for science, arts and commerce streams. In Maharashtra, once again students of Urdu medium schools.
5. Allahabad's Faizeen Zafar got fourth rank in the highly competitive All India Pre-medical/Dental test. Daughter of a doctor couple, she made her mark in the AIMPT exam.
A victim of militancy, the J and K doctor became the first ever Kashmiri to top the UPSC exam ever. Though the number of successful IAS candidates went down to 21 this year, the fact that Faesal got the first rank, would inspire innumerable other youths.
7. Results of Urdu medium schools in the national capital, Delhi, have seen a huge turnaround. Ten years ago the pass percentage was just around 30. This year it went up to almost 90. In fact, the success rate of Urdu schools has been better than government-run and private schools.
These are just a few examples. It augurs well for the nation that Muslims are taking education seriously. It's the only way out for Muslims to enhance their social status as also in improving the image of the community.
If India's biggest minority remains educationally backward, it hurts the nation also. The trends are definitely encouraging. While a middle-class had emerged among Muslims in the last two decades, the fact that even lower-middle class and poor Muslim families have understood that education is the key to success.
Photograph of Shah Faesal [right]. Jasmine Banu's photo [top left] courtesy TwoCircles.Net