The Muslim Personal Law Board denounces such a prejudiced attitude and demands that governments uphold...
Digital Desk: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has voiced concern about the BJP-led central and state governments' alleged targeting of madrassas and questioned why the same restrictions do not apply to other religious institutions, including mutts, gurukuls, and dharmshalas.
In a statement, AIMPLB general secretary Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani claimed that governments at the Centre and in some states controlled by the RSS were hostile to minorities, particularly the Muslim minority.
"When a party influenced by a certain thought comes to power, it is expected that its approach will be unbiased and within the frame of our Constitution," he said.
Rahmani claimed that although Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken about the value of law and order in parliament and other places, the attitude of various state governments where the BJP is in charge is the contrary.
"The way in which BJP governments in Assam and UP have been after the madrassas over very small violations and are targeting the madrassas by closing, bulldozing them and even harassing people working in the madrasas and masjids by alleging that they are terrorists without any reason," he said, according to a statement issued on Thursday.
He added that it is a flagrant breach of the Constitution when well-known people traveling from abroad are subject to limitations and bans.
"If bulldozing buildings is the only option for any violation then why don't they take a similar approach for gurukuls, mutts and dharmshalas as they do in the case of madrassas and mosques," Rahmani asked.
He asserted that it appears that the government is acting independently and without respect for the Constitution.
The Muslim Personal Law Board denounces such a prejudiced attitude and demands that governments uphold and properly apply the Constitution's provisions.
The statement came after the Uttar Pradesh government's announcement on Wednesday that it would be conducting a study of the state's unrecognized madrassas to learn more about their faculty, curriculum, and basic amenities, among other things.
Meanwhile, the Assam government's ongoing campaign to demolish madrassas for alleged "jihadi activities" has sparked outrage from the opposition, which has called the action "completely illegal" and aimed at "one specific group."
The BJP government has razed three madrassas in different sections of the state in the last month after detaining their professors, who were reportedly involved in "jihadi" activities.
However, each time, the stated justification for demolishing the structures is attributable to faulty construction or a breach of land standards, rather than any link to jihadi operations.
Only political figures from the current administration typically make public remarks in the media claiming that madrassas have been destroyed because of allegations that they carried out jihadi activities from their locations.
The madrassas at Moirabari in the Morigaon district, Dhakaliapara in Barpeta, and Jogighopa in Bongaigaon were bulldozed by the state on August 4, August 29, and August 31, respectively.
"The Moirabari madrassa was demolished after a notice was sent to it saying that the building was small and the electricity connection was illegal. The one at Dhakaliapara was demolished as it was on government land," said All Assam Tanzim Madaris Qawmiya secretary Abdul Kadir.
According to him, the two-story residential madrassa in Jogighopa was destroyed to the ground for violating catastrophe regulations, and the authorities asked the boarders to quit the premises at 10 pm the previous night.
"We have been cooperating with the law-enforcing agencies if someone is found doing something wrong. But that does not mean that the entire institution is at fault. What is the point in demolishing an educational centre?" asked Kadir.
In Assam, 610 state-run madrassas were transformed into upper primary, high, and higher secondary schools as of April 1 of last year without affecting the status, salary, allowances, or working conditions of the teaching and non-teaching employees.
After that, the State Madrassa Education Board of Assam was dissolved, and the final Assam High Madrassa exam for Class 10 students was conducted by the Board of Secondary Education of Assam (SEBA) in 2022.
Currently, there are roughly 1,000 privately owned madrassas that follow the rules and curriculum of the All Assam Tanzim Madaris Qawmiya (AATMQ).
AATMQ offers general courses up to class eight and then theology.
Beginning this year, students who seek to enrol in general education classes for classes 9 and 10 in madrassas will be able to take the tests through an open education system with its support.
Meanwhile, a senior SEBA official stated that roughly ten private madrassas approached it about transforming them into general schools, which was done after the proper procedures were followed.
Opposition senior Congress leader Rakibul Hussain hit out at the Himanta Biswa Sarma government for the demolitions, "It is unconstitutional to destroy the madrassas.
He also alleged that Sarma is making contradictory statements as he had praised the madrassas as centres of spiritualism during his days in the Congress but is now blaming them for anti-social activities.
According to the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), the Assam government is "completely wrong" in bulldozing educational centres under the pretext of combating terrorist activity.
"If there was something wrong, then rectify it. After all, these madrassas are imparting education. Demolishing the madrassas is an expression of hatred against one particular community," AIUDF MLA Ashraful Hussain said.
He added that the AATMQ and the state of Assam's Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, led by AIUDF leader Badruddin Ajmal, are thinking of petitioning the court to stop the demolition of the madrassas.
Suprakash Talukdar, state secretary for the CPI(M), stated that the party is adamantly opposed to the demolition of madrassas because the arrest of a suspect is not the end result of the justice system.
"The government is breaking all laws. Who is responsible for demolishing a centre of education? Who will pay for its costs? These are usually constructed with public donations," he said.
"Government intolerance has increased. Additionally, there have been numerous charges brought against accused jihadi members. What happens to those cases, though? Were the suspects found guilty?" he questioned.
Since March of this year, more than 40 people with alleged Islamist affiliations, including Bangladeshi nationals, have been arrested in the state.
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