Days after the Yogi Adityanath-led government initiated the survey of unrecognized madrasas in the state, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, led by several Islamic clerics criticised the government for “not taking the Islamic community into confidence” first.
Maulana Madani, the president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind on Tuesday said that the state government should have taken the Islamist community into confidence before deciding to conduct the survey of the unrecognized madrasas of the state.
“We don’t have a problem with the state surveying the unrecognized madrasas. They just want to know what facilities, what kind of education is being provided to our children. But the state should have the Muslim community in confidence”, he stated. According to the reports, Maulana Madani also questioned why was the state government only surveying unrecognized madrasas and not other unrecognized educational institutions.
Maulana Madani also added that Muslim people were also concerned as a few divisive forces were deliberately targeting the community. The Uttar Pradesh government had on September 1 announced that it would survey unrecognized madrasas of the state to ascertain information such as details of teachers and students, curriculum, and its affiliation with any non-government organization.
Minister of State for Minority Affairs Danish Azad Ansari had said that the survey would be conducted as per the requirements of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) which wants to check on basic facilities being provided to students in madrasas. The minister had stated further that the survey would help gather other details also such as the name of the madrasa and the institution operating it, whether it is being run in a private or a rented building, and information regarding basic facilities of drinking water, furniture, electricity supply, and toilet, etc.
Earlier, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind had extended support to the state government over its decision to survey the unrecognized madrasas which are running without government help. Maulana Madani had also called a meeting to discuss the strategies to ascertain unlicensed madrasas in the state.
Big message to ‘secular lobby’: Jamiat-Ulema-Hind holds meeting, back Yogi government’s decision to survey illegal UP #Madrassas and curriculum.@Sabyasachi_13 and Siddhartha Talya with more on the survey controversy. pic.twitter.com/QcMtbJkgEK
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) September 6, 2022
However, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) questioned the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to conduct the survey of unrecognized madrasas in the state. It had said that the government was deliberately targeting minority institutions. “Madrasas are being targeted in Uttar Pradesh and Assam. This is being done even though minority institutions are protected under the law. If the issue is that of restricting religious education and promoting secular education instead, then why isn’t the government taking the same action against gurukuls”, Qasim Rasool Ilyas, an executive member of the AIMPLB, was quoted as saying.
To note, Maulana Sajid Rashidi, the President of the All India Imam Association also cornered the UP government for surveying the unrecognized Madarsas. On September 14, he appealed to the Madarsa authorities to welcome the state surveying authorities with slippers, and shoes and bash them with the 2009 law related to madrasas.
#BreakingNow: मदरसों के सर्वे पर मौलाना साजिद रशीदी का बयान, ‘सर्वे करने आएं तो चप्पल से करो स्वागत’
— Times Now Navbharat (@TNNavbharat) September 14, 2022
ज्यादा जानकारी दे रहे हैं संवाददाता @manishtv9 @AnchorAnurag #Madarsa #MadarsaSurvey #MaulanaSajidRashidi pic.twitter.com/Ha4gQ2jpOr
Meanwhile, Former UP minister Mohsin Raza took cognizance of Maulana’s blatant statement and said that his words were to instigate Islamist students and madrasa authorities. “The government wants to do good to the madrasas through surveys, but when such statements are issued the government is forced to take a tough stand”, Raza said adding that strict action would be taken against Maulana Rashidi for his instigating remarks.
The Uttar Pradesh government began the survey of unrecognized madrasas in the state on September 10. The survey is being conducted by the District Minority Welfare Officers and their teams across the state. However, officers of the Education Department and Minority Welfare Department are also supposed to be present during the survey. According to the reports, the survey team is scheduled to complete the inspection by October 5 and submit its report to the government by October 25.
