Uproar Erupts at Madarsa Board Event as Teachers Confront Nitish Kumar Over Unpaid Dues

The Bihar State Madarsa Education Board’s centenary event in Patna, attended by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, was marred by protests from teachers demanding their unpaid salaries. Held at Gyan Bhawan, the event saw a group of attendees trying to hand documents to Kumar, a scene captured in a video where police intervened. The primary cause of the unrest was the teachers’ disappointment over the lack of a promised announcement regarding their salaries. The teachers highlighted that in 2011, Kumar had pledged salaries to 2459 madarsas, but only 1646 were receiving them. The teachers, who had been informed that the Chief Minister would announce measures related to their honorarium, were left frustrated by the absence of such an announcement in his speech. Slogans and protests erupted. The Chief Minister acknowledged their grievances by taking papers from some individuals, but the growing discontent led to his departure from the venue. The teachers, many of whom had not been receiving any government grants, expressed their frustration. The Chief Minister emphasized the initiatives undertaken by his government for the Muslim community, detailing improvements since 2005. The Bihar State Madarsa Education Board was established in 1922, and it gained autonomy in 1981. Today, Bihar is home to 1942 aided and around 2430 unaided madarsas. The teachers expected a dedicated announcement. When the CM didn’t announce anything about the honorarium, they became angry.