PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE /Dehradun
Four Madarsas were sealed in the Bajpur subdivision of Udham Singh Nagar district after their operators failed to produce the required recognition-related documents during an administrative inspection on Wednesday. Recently, authorities had also taken action against a Madarsa run by Mufti Mujeeb in Udham Singh Nagar district. Mufti had been arrested following a controversial speech delivered in Rudrapur during a Barawafat programme.
The sub-divisional magistrate, Bajpur, Richa Singh sealed the Madarsas, following directions from the Udham Singh Nagar district administration. Officials said that the operators could not provide the required documents during the inspection. The four sealed Madarsas are Jamia Hanfia Razaut-ul-Uloom in Bajpur, Gulshan-e-Islam in Kanaura, Jamia Fatima in Bajpur and Moinul Uloom in Mohalla Gandhinagar, Kelakhera-Bajpur.
The SDM said that inspections of other Madarsas are also continuing in the region. “Institutions that do not have the required recognition or fail to meet prescribed standards will face action according to the rules,” she added.
The action comes amid a wider debate over the new Madarsa education system introduced in Uttarakhand. Some Madarsa operators have approached the Nainital High Court, challenging the new recognition requirements. The petitioners have raised concerns about the requirement for recognition from the Minority Education Authority and Education Board. The High Court sought a response from the state government, with the next hearing scheduled for September 15.
The Udham Singh Nagar district magistrate Nitin Bhadouria said that all Madarsas must follow the government rules and obtain recognition from the prescribed authority.
Notably, defending the new system as a corrective measure, the government says that it aims to provide children with modern and quality education while keeping them anchored in their cultural and religious roots.
