All India United Democratic Front founder and president Badruddin Ajmal issued a challenge to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma while speaking during the election campaign in Nagaon. He declared that he would establish 700 new madrasas after winning the general election this time.
“After the Lok Sabha elections, along with AIUDF MPs from Karimganj and Nagaon in Assam, we will open 700 new madrasas. Himanta Biswa Sarma listen, write in your diary, Badruddin Ajmal is coming to the parliament. 700 madrasas we three brothers will open,” the Muslim leader announced.
Ajmal was addressing the rally in support of his party candidate from Nagaon, Aminul Islam, where he also attacked Congress leader Pradyut Bordoloi and labeled him a liar. Bardruddin Ajmal said that although the Congressman had offered jobs, none of the Muslims present at his rally had accepted the positions. He further questioned what Pradyut Bordoloi had accomplished in the last five years for the Muslim community.
Ajmal claimed, “Even Modi or Himanta Biswa Sarma is unable to give jobs, and you (Pradyut Bordoloi) have given jobs, but none of the Muslims has said they got a job in any of my rallies, and asked him what he has done for Muslims for the last 5 years.”
Himanta Biswa Sarma converts madrasas into regular schools
The state’s Department of School Education conveyed on 13th December 2023, that 1281 Madrasa Education (ME) institutions in the state would be changed to regular schools. Board of Secondary Education Assam, or SEBA, is in charge of converting provincialised and government madrasas into traditional classrooms.
“Consequent to the conversion of all Govt and Provincialised Madrasa into general schools under SEBA, the Department of School Education in Assam has changed the names of 1281 ME Madrasas into ME Schools by a notification today. Here is the link for the list of schools,” Education Minister of Assam, Ranoj Pegu, wrote on social media while posting a list of the concerned institutes.
Consequent to conversion of all Govt and Provincialised Madrasa’s into general schools under SEBA, @SchoolEdnAssam has changed the names of 1281 ME Madrasas into ME School by a notification today. Here is the link for the list of schools. @himantabiswa @Samagra_Assam…
— Ranoj Pegu (Modi Ka Parivar) (@ranojpeguassam) December 13, 2023
On the first day of the new year (2024), Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that the Assam government is attempting to negotiate the closure of private madrasas and pushing their conversion to regular schools. The development transpired after his government shut down state-run madrasas and turned them into regular schools.
Assam CM noted, “Private madrasas are protected by the constitutions of India as it is written that the government cannot touch minority-run educational institutes. They don’t even fall under the RTE (Right to Education) Act. But having said that, the Assam police and education department are working together so we can reduce at least 1000 private madrasas. From three thousand, it will come down to two thousand, and we are negotiating this with the private madrasa bodies.”
The chief minister added, “There are five distinct communities who are known as Assamese Muslim communities, we have approved the census and we are verifying the villages where the Assamese Muslim communities live, also wards in municipal areas where Assamese Muslims live are being earmarked and by the end of 2024, we will complete this census.” The Chief Minister of Assam also stated that by the end of this year, his administration will have conducted a new census of Muslims in Assam.
