After the Waqf Board Chairman Shadab Shams on Thursday, November 24, announced that the Uttarakhand government has decided to modernise the madarsas in the state, the chairman of the All India Imam Association Maulana Sajid Rashidi has warned the government that India will burn if government dares to touch the private madarsas.
Maulana Sajid Rashidi told ANI, “Every state has a madrassa board that comes under the government. The government can order dress codes, play movies or songs, and do whatever they want in those Madarssas, and no one can stop them. However, we will not allow you to do anything in our private Madarsas, hear this out. Because Indian Muslims retain 4% of children from private madrasas to become maulvis and maulanas, if they attempt to intervene in that 4% of madrasas, all the Indian Muslims will oppose it. We will not allow them to do this.”
Rashidi went on to say, “We never accept anything from the government. These are the foolish people who gave their madrassas to the government in order for the government to earn money, and now they are paying the price. That is why our great Maulavis and Ulemas advise others not to accept government funds for Madarsas.”
“We do not need anything from anyone… Do whatever you want in the government-run Madrassas. But don’t touch the private Madarsas; otherwise, India will be on fire,” Rashidi threatened.
Notably, Shadab Shams, the chairman of the Waqf Board on Thursday said that the Uttarakhand government will impose a dress code at all 103 madrasas. The madrasa modernization program will also include the implementation of the NCERT syllabus and will function from 8 AM to 2 PM like regular schools.
Speaking about the government’s efforts to modernise the madrasas, Shadab Shams said that the government plans to run the madrasas like regular schools. The Waqf Board Chairman stated that in the first phase, seven madarsas will be modernised, including two in Dehradun, two in Udham Singh Nagar, two in Haridwar, and one in Nainital.
There is also a preparation to run madrassas along the lines of modern schools. In the first phase, 7 madrassas will be made modern, two in Dehradun, two in Udham Singh Nagar, two in Haridwar and one in Nainital: Waqf Board Chairman Shadab Shams
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) November 24, 2022
Uttarakhand’s madarsas have also been directed to register with the state education board or risk closure. According to the Uttarakhand government, there are over 400 unregistered madrasas in the state.
“Madarsas have been given a month to register with the state education department.” If they do not meet the deadline, steps will be taken to close them,” Uttarakhand Social Welfare and Minority Welfare Minister Chandan Ram Dass said.
The President of the All India Imam Association, Maulana Sajid Rashidi, earlier tried to corner the Uttar Pradesh government for surveying the unrecognised madarsas. On September 14, he urged madarsa authorities to welcome state surveying authorities with slippers and shoes.
