In Rajasthan, a conspiracy has been going to convert Dalit Hindu children to Islam through madarsas. Hindu rights group Bajrang Dal and an RTI activist have alleged that Hindu children are being brainwashed through Islamic education.
According to the Bajrang Dal, a Hindu Dalit girl’s name was recently registered at the madrasa as Sakina even though her father is a Hindu. The Bajrang Dal alleged that six Hindu students were converted to Islam at the same madrasa. Following this case, an RTI surfaced, raising further questions.
The RTI has found that around 3000 non-Muslim children are studying in Rajasthan madrasas and a significant number of these children are said to be Hindu. Girls account for over half of all students who attend madrasas rather than government or private schools.
The RTI report revealed that the number of non-Muslim students in these madrasas is in the hundreds but the number of non-Muslim teachers is negligible. In this case, RTI activists and people of Bajrang Dal have pointed towards a big conspiracy of conversion and brainwashing the Hindu students into following Islamic traditions.
How the conversion conspiracy was exposed?
Rajasthan High Court lawyer Sujit Swami had filed an RTI to the Rajasthan Madarsa Board. In this, he had asked how many non-Muslim students are studying in the madrasas of all the districts within Rajasthan. In addition, Swami also sought information about how many non-Muslim teachers are there in the madarsas in Rajasthan. Subsequently, the Madarsa Board provided him with district-wise data on non-Muslim madrasa teachers. OpIndia has seen the RTI findings. Meanwhile, Bajrang Dal and Sujit Swami have raised some serious questions about the issue.
What information came out?
Rajasthan Madarsa Board has informed that a total of 3056 non-Muslim students are getting education in the madrasas of the state in the academic session 2024-25. Of these, 1600 are boys while 1456 are girls and the largest number of non-Muslim students studying in madarsas are in the Kota district. 184 girls and 156 boys are studying in Kota. After this, 161 non-Muslim boys and 147 girls are studying in madarsas in the Tonk district. 115 non-Muslim boys and 98 girls are studying in Chittorgarh.
Non-Muslim students are acceptable, teachers are not?
The alarming fact revealed by this RTI is that, while there are thousands of non-Muslim pupils learning in madrasas, there are almost no non-Muslim teachers. In Kota, where the majority of non-Muslim children attend madrasas, there is only one non-Muslim teacher. The surprising fact revealed by the RTI is that in 15 of Rajasthan’s 33 districts, there are no non-Muslim female madrasa teachers.
The remaining ten districts have only one non-Muslim female teacher. Similarly, some districts have no or only one non-Muslim male teacher. The number of non-Muslim students in thousands and the number of teachers not even in double digits is raising many questions. A total of 261 non-Muslim teachers are teaching in madrasas in the whole of Rajasthan. Among these non-Muslim male teachers, 170 are in just 10 districts.
Speaking to OpIndia, Sujit Swami said, “It is unusual for non-Muslim students to study in madrasas because in most places there are government schools as well. Many of the madrasas where these students are studying are running in mosques. Namaaz is also offered in these madrasas. Even if the madrasas run by them claim that non-Muslim children are not given Islamic education, are you not creating separate classes for them? In such a situation, what is the guarantee that they will not be brainwashed? Then if this is the case, then why are there fewer non-Muslim teachers?”
Student’s name is Sakina, father’s name is Lekhraj, what is the matter?
Bajrang Dal said that a Dalit girl studying in Madrasa Darul Uloom Tehreek-e-Hind in Anantapur, Kota was found to be named Sakina. In this case, Yogesh Renewaal of Bajrang Dal said, “Sakina belongs to the Bairwa community, who are Dalits. Sakina’s family is also poor, her father Lekhraj earns a living for the family by doing hard labour. He does not know this madrasa and its activities. Sakina earlier also studied in a school run by a Muslim. She was later admitted to the madrasa.”
“Sakina’s case is not the only one, there are 6 such students in this madrasa. We demand that a serious investigation be conducted. The girl’s family is poor and we suspect that she has been taken into confidence to be sent to school either on the pretext of financial help or a good education. Mostly Dalit and poor families are targeted. We had also complained to the district administration in this matter but then these madrasa people did not even pick up the phone. Some officers of the district administration are also protecting them,” Renewaal further alleged.
According to a document from Anantpura Madrasa, two children who are learning here have Islamic names, although their father’s name is Abhishek Khan. Yogesh Renewal stated that this automatically raises questions. He stated that if an objective inquiry is undertaken in this matter, numerous irregularities will be revealed. Sujit Swami has urged that a special probe be performed in Kota because it has the highest number of non-Muslim children.
Allegations were levelled against the District Minority Welfare Officer
Yogesh Renewal has also made allegations against Kota District Minority Welfare Officer Naheeda Khan. He said that whenever it comes to irregularities in madrasas, Naheeda protects them. It is worth noting that Naheeda Khan had put up a status regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict in October 2023. Khan had posted a status on her social media, praying for Gaza, boycotting several companies, and also asking for support and donations. A complaint was lodged against her for this. She clarified that this status was posted by her 8-year-old son and a notice was also sent to her in this matter.
@Dcdmkota @ECISVEEP यह #Kota की DMWO नाहिदा ख़ान है जो आदर्श आचार संहिता में भी भारत सरकार के स्टैंड के खिलाफ जाकर #GazaCity के सपोर्ट एवम #Israel के खिलाफ व्हाट्स स्टेटस लगाकर आमजन को गुमराह एवम प्रभावित कर रही है।@KotaPolice से आग्रह है उचित कार्यवाही करें। @PoliceRajasthan… pic.twitter.com/TL8OZHTGo9
— Sujeet Swami️ (@shibbu87) October 16, 2023
NCPCR raised the issue earlier
This is not the first time that questions have been raised about non-Muslim students studying in madrasas. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has been raising the issue of Islamic education given in these madrasas and its non-Muslim children. In one such case, NCPCR chief Priyank Kanungo had said that a Hindu child was circumcised in a madrasa in Saharanpur. Before this, he had also raised questions about the curriculum of other madrasas, in which Hindus were declared ‘ Mushrik’ and ‘Kafir’.
OpIndia tried to contact Kota MLA and Education Minister Madan Dilawar regarding the issue of non-Muslim children studying in madrasas in Rajasthan and the impact of this education on them. However, due to his busy schedule, the conversation could not take place. OpIndia also tried to contact Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Premchand Bairwa, who belongs to the Bairwa community, however, we have yet to receive a response from him. This report will be updated when the Education Minister or Deputy Chief Minister responds to the matter.
