Shining Example Of Hindu Muslim Unity, Jaipur Madrassa Is Now A School With Hindu Principal

The Rehmani Model School, in the Walled City area in Jaipur is a model not just in its name. Having risen to a school from a madrassa, it caters to the educational needs of 1,300 students of the minority community. Guiding them is the school principal Kailash Chandra Yadav, who was previously affiliated to the RSS's Aadarsh Vidhya Mandir.

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The structure in the congested lanes of Ramganj, a minority dominated area, now stands tall as an example of communal harmony. All the students of the school are Muslims; several of them belonging to lower-middle class families. The school board, too, comprises Muslim members but several of its teachers are Hindus. Of the 63 teachers, 9 - including the principal - are Hindus. The school had its first non-Muslim teacher in 1995 while Yadav is its first non-Muslim principal.

The principal, who now sees his job as a challenge to inspire and urge the parents to send their wards to school.

"Having worked in Aadarsh Vidhya Mandir, it seemed almost weird to work for a Muslim school. However, that feeling passed soon. I am glad to be helping students who come from a community who do not always get these facilities," said Yadav.

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Yadav and his team of teachers have a much larger task at hand than just teaching. "Financial condition of some students is so bad that the parents stop sending them. The parents have to be convinced to send their children as they think education is not important," he said.

Abdul Qayyum Akhtar, chairman of Rehmani Welfare Society, admits that people in his community are not eager to educate their children. 72-year-old Akhtar started this madrassa-turned-school with merely 50 students in early 1980s and has seen it grown into a higher secondary school.

Talking about the non-Muslim teachers, he says, "To me the educational qualification of teachers matters, not their affiliations or their religion. At our school, we celebrate Eid but do not forget to greet each other during Holi and Diwali."