NEW DELHI, Mar 13: The Uttarakhand government has sealed 52 “illegal” Madrasas in the State in a span of two weeks.
The crackdown on the religious educational institutions of the minority community is being criticized by the Muslim organisations who have termed the sealing as blatant misuse of power.
According to the sources in the State government, around 42 Madrasas were sealed in the State capital, Dehradun since March 1 while 10 of them were sealed in Udham Singh Nagar’s Khatima, which is neighbouring Nepal. Sharing reason for sealing these educational institutions, the government officials said almost all of them found to have illegal and un-aurthorized construction.
“Some of the institutions also found to have no registration,” the official said adding that the identification drive against the minority institutions started in January this year on the orders of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. The CM, on several occasions, maintained that the BJP government had resolved to take action against illegal construction and encroachment.
“Sahi ko cherdenge nahi or galat ko chordenge nahi,” (we will not touch those who are right but will not leave the wrong doers), the CM has said in a media interaction. He added that the concerned authorities have been asked to look into the source of funding of these institutions.
Mr Dhami’s government has also initiated a State-wide drive to identify the illegal encroachment inside forest land last year after which over 450 Mazars (religious structures of the minority community) were demolished from across Uttarakhand along with 50 temples.
Calling the crackdown on the Madrasa as blatant misuse of power, Naeem Qureshi, president of Muslim Sewa Sangathan, said the BJP government was attacking on minorities to ‘divert attention’ from the real issues of the State. Mr Qureshi also claimed that minority educational institutions did not even need any affiliation of recognition.
“The State faces so many natural and man-made disasters every year. There is illegal sand mining, illegal felling of trees and so much corruption. The crime is increasing and there are no jobs for people. And to save its face, the government keep attacking minority institutions to divert attention,” he said.
He also alleged that the administration hasn’t given any prior notices to the Madrasas’ authorities in which over 2000 students were enrolled. No Madrasa was given time and opportunity to explain itself, he said. He questioned if the government has any plans for the enrolment of these students in the schools.
(Manas Dasgupta)
