Muslim Organizations Unite to Defend Madrassas: Call Actions Illegal and Oppressive

Several Muslim bodies, including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, have issued a statement condemning actions by state authorities in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh to undermine madrassas. They claim such actions are illegal and violate minority rights under the Constitution. The statement demands an end to these 'oppressive' measures.

Several Muslim organizations, including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, have accused state authorities in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh of undermining the status of madrassas through what they describe as 'illegal and oppressive' actions.

A joint statement from these bodies asserts that they will pursue all possible legal and democratic measures to change the 'minority-hostile' policies of the state governments.

'We, the citizens of the nation, strongly condemn efforts to undermine the status and identity of madrassas in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and other states,' the statement read. The directive from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, which instructs the survey and transfer of students from unrecognized madrassas to government schools, is deemed illegal by the organizations.

A list of 8,449 unrecognized schools, including historical institutions like Darul Uloom Deoband, has been published. Local authorities are allegedly pressuring to transfer students to government schools. Non-Muslim students have been removed from madrassas and sent to government schools in what the statement calls an 'attack' on their personal rights and joint Indian culture. Threats of non-compliance have also been reported, along with complaints about mandatory Saraswati Vandana in Madhya Pradesh.

The statement underscores that minorities have the constitutional right to establish and administer their educational institutions under Article 30(1). The Right to Education Act exempts religious schools. The Muslim bodies demand the cessation of what they describe as illegal and unethical actions that jeopardize children's futures.