Pirzada welcomes enhanced honorarium for muezzins, imams

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced a ₹500 increase in the monthly honorarium for registered Hindu priests (purohits) and Muslim prayer leaders (muezzins and imams) in the state, taking the total monthly allowance to ₹2,000.

The announcement was made on 15 March, shortly before the official declaration of the West Bengal Assembly election dates, and coincided with the release of dearness allowance (DA) arrears for state government employees.

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The hike applies to registered priests and muezzins and imams who were already receiving a monthly allowance from the state government. In addition, the Chief Minister stated that all pending applications from priests and muezzins seeking inclusion in the financial support scheme have now been approved.

Pirzada Toha Siddique of Furfura Sharif, speaking to The Statesman, said: “We have long been expecting this enhancement of the honorarium for registered muezzins and imams. However, it is better late than never. This increase should not be misconstrued as appeasement of any particular community by the state government. As religious leaders, we have nothing to do with the political activities of any party, whether ruling or opposition. We therefore welcome the hike in an impartial manner.”

He added: “Political parties have their own way of functioning, and vote-bank politics may matter to them. However, for Furfura Sharif and religious leaders, our concern is overall development and special attention to deprived minority communities as a whole. We neither possess any affinity for nor disregard any political party. We stand for development, progress, communal harmony and a sense of brotherhood. At the same time, we can be very strict with anyone misusing religious sentiments for narrow political gains. We hold no ill feelings towards the ruling party; however, we are concerned about certain elements who have deviated from the party’s ideology of progress and development, and whose actions are harming society. People today are aware of their constitutional rights, and their informed decisions will uphold what is right and reject what is wrong.”

However, the timing of the announcement has been viewed by a section of observers as a pre-poll measure aimed at garnering support from religious functionaries, even as the state government emphasised its commitment to fostering an inclusive environment where all communities are respected.