Durban: Urging Muslims in India to modernise madrasa education, chairman of the National Commission of Minorities (NCM) Tarlochan Singh has said they fall behind in competition because of being deprived of modern teachings in these institutions.

"I feel Muslims have been left behind by their own fault. The madrasa education that has been adopted by them is harming the interest of their own young people because it is only religious education," Singh said on the sidelines of the World Punjabi Convention being held in Dubai.

"This has deprived them of normal education and as a result they fall behind in competition," Singh said, adding the Centre and the commission together have called upon the Muslim community to modernise madrasa education.

"Lot of money is being paid to them to strengthen the infrastructure of madrasa education so that in addition to the religious education they also get modern education," he said.

This initiative is getting good response from the Muslim community, he said.

"The Muslim community should realise that if there is any backwardness it is because of their own attitude. I have met most of the Ambassadors of the Gulf countries and requested them that if they are contributing money for Muslims' education in India. They should send the funds to start professional colleges in medicine, engineering and the like," he said.

"They are not serving the cause of Muslims in India by sending money only for madrasas and for only religious education," he added.