<p>Muslim clerics (imams) from across West Bengal are likely to congregate in Kolkata—with Netaji Indoor Stadium as a tentative venue—to demand that the state government fulfil the promise it made to them, and revise the fixed-rate honorarium offered to them since 2012.</p>.<p>The imams will invite All India Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to attend the congregation.</p>.<p>The imams, representing different districts, met in Kolkata on Wednesday to discuss how to ask the Trinamool government to fulfil its “promises”.</p>.<p>“The honorarium (that) imams receive (through state wakf board) is Rs 2,500 per month. The muezzins (who assist the imams) receive Rs 1,000 per month. The rate has remained unchanged for ten years, since 2012, while prices of essential goods have risen. We have tried to draw the government’s attention, but there has been no revision,” Mohammad Quamruzzaman, General Secretary, All Bengal Minority Council (ABMC), who attended the meeting, told Deccan Herald.</p>.<p>Over 60,000 imams and muezzins receive honorarium, he said.</p>.<p>To reach out to the government, associations of imams will collectively organise a congregation that’s to be attended by hundreds of clerics and muezzins, which is expected to be attended by 10,000-15,000 participants.</p>.<p>Quamruzzaman said that the chief minister will also be invited to the meeting, and added imams and muezzins are attached to madrasas or mosques that are part of wakf properties. The remuneration had begun after the change of the government in 2011, but now there was a need for further utilising such properties to generate revenue, he said.</p>.<p>Besides a revised honorarium and proper utilisation of wakf properties, imams were also promised houses and recognition for 10,000 madrasas. Instead, only 200 madrasas have received approvals, the ABMC representative said.</p>.<p>“We were promised representation in proportion to (the) population. We want the government to see that the minority community finds representation in departments, jobs and in the party, proportional to the population. Very peacefully we want to present our demands in writing to the chief minister, asking that this be done. In 2012, promises were made to us. Some have been fulfilled. Work on some started and stopped midway. We would like to know from the government, why things paused,” Maulana Shafique Qasmi, an imam with Masjid Nakhoda, the principal mosque in Kolkata, told DH.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, Trinamool’s political opponents called the honorarium an act of “appeasement”.</p>
<p>Muslim clerics (imams) from across West Bengal are likely to congregate in Kolkata—with Netaji Indoor Stadium as a tentative venue—to demand that the state government fulfil the promise it made to them, and revise the fixed-rate honorarium offered to them since 2012.</p>.<p>The imams will invite All India Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to attend the congregation.</p>.<p>The imams, representing different districts, met in Kolkata on Wednesday to discuss how to ask the Trinamool government to fulfil its “promises”.</p>.<p>“The honorarium (that) imams receive (through state wakf board) is Rs 2,500 per month. The muezzins (who assist the imams) receive Rs 1,000 per month. The rate has remained unchanged for ten years, since 2012, while prices of essential goods have risen. We have tried to draw the government’s attention, but there has been no revision,” Mohammad Quamruzzaman, General Secretary, All Bengal Minority Council (ABMC), who attended the meeting, told Deccan Herald.</p>.<p>Over 60,000 imams and muezzins receive honorarium, he said.</p>.<p>To reach out to the government, associations of imams will collectively organise a congregation that’s to be attended by hundreds of clerics and muezzins, which is expected to be attended by 10,000-15,000 participants.</p>.<p>Quamruzzaman said that the chief minister will also be invited to the meeting, and added imams and muezzins are attached to madrasas or mosques that are part of wakf properties. The remuneration had begun after the change of the government in 2011, but now there was a need for further utilising such properties to generate revenue, he said.</p>.<p>Besides a revised honorarium and proper utilisation of wakf properties, imams were also promised houses and recognition for 10,000 madrasas. Instead, only 200 madrasas have received approvals, the ABMC representative said.</p>.<p>“We were promised representation in proportion to (the) population. We want the government to see that the minority community finds representation in departments, jobs and in the party, proportional to the population. Very peacefully we want to present our demands in writing to the chief minister, asking that this be done. In 2012, promises were made to us. Some have been fulfilled. Work on some started and stopped midway. We would like to know from the government, why things paused,” Maulana Shafique Qasmi, an imam with Masjid Nakhoda, the principal mosque in Kolkata, told DH.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, Trinamool’s political opponents called the honorarium an act of “appeasement”.</p>
