PIONEEREDGE NEWS SERVICE | Nainital
The Uttarakhand High Court has directed that the Madarsas sealed by the authorities so far should be opened, adding that Madarsas not registered with the Madarsa Board should not write the word ‘Madarsa’ along with their title. If any such institution still uses the term ‘Madarsa’ the district authorities can take action against it.
Directing that Madarsas sealed by the authorities should be reopened, the court directed that the Madarsa management should submit an affidavit to the authority concerned stating that no education related activity will be held in the institution. The single bench of justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari issued this direction during a combined hearing of about three dozen petitions filed by Madarsas against sealing and notices issued by the authorities to unregistered Madarsas in April.
During the hearing on Tuesday, the Madarsas stated that they had applied to the Madarsa Board for registration but the process had not been completed yet. The State government counsel stated that 496 Madarsas are registered at present in the State while those sealed were being operated without permission and various irregularities were found in such Madarsas. The HC directed that the sealed Madarsas should be reopened though the authority which sealed them can act as per the rules against them if they use the term ‘Madarsa’. Such institutions can undertake religious activities, the court stated.
More than 33 sealed Madarsas had filed petitions in the HC challenging the action taken by the State authorities against such institutions operating sans registration and in violation of rules. The government contended that these Madarsas were operating illegally and had not been registered with the Madarsa Board.
The registered Madarsas had not been sealed by the authorities. While such legally operated Madarsas are receiving government grants, the illegally operated ones are not receiving any such assistance, the government counsel stated.
