In a shocking surprise, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Yogi Adityanath Government on Thursday found around 13,000 unlawful madrasas operating in the state. After getting information, the SIT has submitted a comprehensive report to the state administration after scrutinizing the state’s illicit madrasas. Moreover, the SIT has recommended the closure of these Madrasas.
According to Zee News TV sources, these illicit madrasas that were identified are located along the Nepal border, with their construction being funded over the past two decades from contributions originating in Gulf countries. Furthermore, the SIT’s report revealed shocking findings, including a majority of these madrasas being located in seven districts bordering Nepal, including Maharajganj, Shravasti, and Bahraich. The SIT report also stated that each border district houses more than 500 such madrasas, raising concerns over their proximity to the international border.
The report has been submitted to the Yogi Adityanath government.
It also underscored concerns over many of these madrasas falling in the districts along the UP-Nepal border. According to the report, seven such districts, including Maharajganj and Shravasti, have more than 2,500 of these madrasas.A three-member SIT was formed in October 2023 to probe the “unregistered” madrasas in the state.
“During our probe, the unrecognised madrasas told us their source was donations and Zakat (almsgiving in Islam) but could not produce any receipt or record of the same. There is also a patter in madrasas coming up along the Nepal border. All this signals that some foreign agency, likely a Pakistan-based agency, may be guiding them to build a base there and assemble sympathisers with the larger aim of (organising) terror activities,”
The investigation team also found financial records from these madrasas, but most have failed to provide a clear account of their income and expenditure, fuelling suspicions of a clandestine conspiracy diverting funds for terrorism through the construction of these educational institutions. Even as some of the madrasas claim to have been built with donations, they have been unable to disclose the names of contributors.
The probe team, covering a total of 23,000 madrasas, has identified 5,000 with provisional recognition, and some have fallen short of meeting accreditation standards over the past 25 years. The development after the SIT confirmed that approximately 80 madrasas in border regions received funding totaling around Rs 100 crores from foreign sources.
After this news was reported, the state government had instructed the SIT to conduct a thorough and meticulous investigation into the operations of all madrasas in the state. The SIT was formed amidst growing concerns over the potential misuse of funds, raising questions about the authenticity of the sources supporting these religious institutions.
Iftikhar Ahmed Javed, chairman of the UP-state madrasa education board, told the newspaper, “Not all madrasas are anti-national. The investigation aims to cleanse the system and promote those institutions fostering national feelings and patriotism among students.”
In a survey conducted in 2022, around 8,449 madrasas in UP were found to be “unrecognised”.
Javed had then written to the Uttar Pradesh CM urging him to initiate a process so that these madrasas could be recognised. According to him, the lack of such a procedure will hit the education of almost 7.5 lakh students.
Meanwhile, speaking about the findings of the recent SIT probe, UP Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said, “Our government will further strengthen law and order in the state. Under no circumstances, will we allow illegal activities in the state.” He said stringent action will be taken against the guilty.
U.P. Deputy CM vows ‘action’ against the Illegal Madrasas
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said “action will be taken” against those engaging in “anti-national activities” under the pretext of education. The Deputy CM’s comments came amid a buzz of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) allegedly identifying thousands of “illegal” madrasas across the State. Sources claim that the SIT report, which has not been made public as yet, might recommend closure of madrasas which were unable to verify the source of foreign funding.
