The Yogi Adityanath Government in Uttar Pradesh has
constituted a three-member special investigation team (SIT) to investigate as
many as 4,000 madrasas, which have received foreign funding. These madrasas are
located mostly on the Indo-Nepal border
The SIT team will be under the chairmanship of ADG ATS
Mohit Agarwal, with SP Cyber Crime Dr Triveni Singh and director, minority
welfare J Reebha as members.
Minorities’ Welfare Minister Dharmpal Singh remarked, “Madrasas
which are linked to any kind of anti-national activity will be probed. Around 4,000
madrasas, most of them concentrated around the Indo-Nepal border, have been
receiving foreign funds regularly. After the madrasa survey last year,
authorities found that most madrasas in the border areas of late had been
receiving big funds, but were unable to give an accurate account of the money.”
He added, “Our department doesn’t have the experts to
get exact information about the source of funds and where they were diverted or
used and for which purpose. So, the State Government has constituted a SIT to
probe the source of funds and where they were spent by various madrasas. Most
of the madrasa managements were not giving a satisfactory reply when asked
about foreign funding. So, the state decided to probe the source of funding to
these madrasas through the SIT.”
“During the probe, we will check the accounts of
madrasas which are receiving funds from abroad. We will see how the money
received through foreign funding is used—is it used to run the madrasas or for
any other activities,” said ADG Mohit Agarwal, who is head of UP Anti-Terror
Squad (ATS).
The move was taken after information about
anti-national activities and forced conversion being encouraged with foreign
donations, revealed the State Government officials.
Reportedly, the SIT was likely to focus more on
madrasas in districts situated along the Indo-Nepal border, including Siddharth
Nagar, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur and Maharajganj, among others.
Welcoming the decision, Uttar Pradesh State Madrasa
Education Board Chairman Dr Iftikhar Ahmed Javed said, “If any madrasa has
received foreign fund and if it has not given any details about the expenditure
of that fund, then the matter should be probed. There is no harm in that and I
hope that all the madrasas will cooperate in this.”
He said, “SIT probe into madrasa funds does not mean
that all the madrasas are anti- national. Rather, it’s an effort to clean the
system and promote those madrasas which inculcate national feeling and
patriotism among the students. At the same time, the state government also
wants to modernise the madrasa education because we want students to compete
with the best. If everything goes well and according to the plan, then in the
days to come there is no doubt that madrasas will impart standard education,
just like missionary schools. “
There are at least 16,513 recognised madrasas in Uttar
Pradesh and 560 of them are receiving grants from the State Government. Around
8,000 unrecognised madrasas were also found operating in the State after the
madrasa survey.
NE Watch Desk
