BHOPAL: In a first in the country, the education of 289 orphaned and destitute Muslim children (whose fathers have passed away) in Bhopal will be funded by the Madhya Pradesh State Waqf Board – out of the income generated from a property already declared as a Yateemkhana property.
The MP State Waqf Board has identified 289 Muslims children in the state capital, including boys and girls, each of whose school fees up to Rs 10,000 will be paid by the Board, out of the proceeds of a Yateemkhana property which houses a hospital.
The Yateemkhana property (donated by the actual owner for helping the cause of orphaned kids) housing a private hospital, fetches an annual income of more than Rs 21 lakh. The entire proceeds will be used to fund the education (school fees) of the 289 orphaned and destitute children.
Importantly, in Islamic jurisprudence (Sharia), a Yateem (orphan) is formally defined as a pre-pubescent child (minor), whose father has passed away. Under the traditional Islamic law, the definition centers specifically on the death of the father, because he is historically recognised as the primary financial provider and protector of the family. Further, if both parents of a child have passed away, the child is certainly a Yateem (orphan).
According to MP Waqf Board chairman Dr Sanwar Patel, “After the Waqf Amendment Law came into force, we’re not just committed to freeing the Waqf properties from illegal possession, but also using those properties for funding the welfare of most needy sections of the Muslim community. In line with that the entire proceeds of Rs 21 lakh-plus from a Yateemkhand property in Bhopal will be used to fund the education of orphaned and destitute children.”
“On Tuesday, cheques of up to Rs 10,000 will be provided to each of the 289 identified orphaned and destitute children in Bhopal, who wish to study, but owing to financial problems are finding it hard to pursue their educational dream. This first-of-its kind initiative will be replicated in other districts of the state in the times to come,” Dr Patel told the TNIE.
The initiative came a year after the same state Waqf Board had decided to tap the income generated from registered Waqf properties across the state to fund the education of financially weak talented school going students of the minority community.
As part of a campaign, the State Waqf Board had transferred Rs 1.5 crore as Rs 10,000 annual scholarship to 1500 promising high-school pass out children last year, while a similar sum was was transferred so far this year as same scholarship to identical number of children across the state.
More than 400 Waqf properties, each one having generating an annual income of Rs One Lakh-plus are being tapped to render the annual scholarships to the promising high school pass children. Half of the income left after meeting essential expenditure of the concerned properties is being utilized to fund the annual scholarships.
The initiative covers students who attained 60%-plus marks in high school examinations.