Muslims allege targeted harassment by Backward Commission member with long-standing bias against minority institutions
KUSHINAGAR – A long-standing madrasa in Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh is again in the eye of a storm after being branded “illegal” by a state commission member, despite official investigations and approval from the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) confirming its legal status.
The controversy has sparked deep concern among the local Muslim community, who see it as yet another attempt to discredit minority-run educational institutions.
The institution in question, Madrasa Anjuman Islamia Faizul Uloom, located in Ward No. 15, Dhanauji Khurd under Fazilnagar Nagar Panchayat, has been functioning for more than two decades. In 1996, it received a government grant to support its work. But on 27 September 2021, a tehsil-level investigation revealed that the madrasa stood on 0.02480 hectare of land belonging to the Gram Sabha. While these initially raised questions, the same inquiry noted that the Gram Sabha had not raised any objection to the madrasa’s presence.
The matter seemed settled when on 20 December 2021, the SDM officially approved the transfer of the land in the madrasa’s name. “We run this madrasa with full permission from the administration. Everything is in the records,” said Serajul, the madrasa manager. “Why is this issue being raked up again when the authorities themselves have regularised it?”
However, the calm was broken when Phoolbadan Kushwaha, a member of the Uttar Pradesh State Backward Classes Commission, wrote to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath calling the madrasa illegal. In his letter, he alleged that the institution had illegally occupied Gram Sabha land, built its premises without proper ownership, and even engaged in corruption during recent appointments. “Appointments were made by taking bribes, and the son of the original landowner is drawing a salary without qualification,” Kushwaha claimed.
These accusations have not only unsettled the madrasa administration but also alarmed the students and parents. “We come here to learn. Now we are worried about our future. If the madrasa is shut, where will we go?” said Mohammad Danish, a Class 8 student.
Local Muslim leaders believe the move is politically motivated. “This is nothing but targeted harassment,” said Aabaas, a local councillor. “The madrasa has already been cleared by the administration. But when it is a Muslim institution, certain people in power cannot tolerate it thriving.”
Community members also questioned the timing of the complaint, noting that the madrasa had been functioning peacefully for years. “If there was an issue, why did the SDM give approval in 2021? Why did the tehsil report not call for demolition or eviction? The truth is clear — Muslims are being targeted,” said Rashid Ahmed, a local shopkeeper and parent of two students enrolled at the madrasa.
With the matter now sitting at the Chief Minister’s Office and under review by the district administration, the Muslim community in Kushinagar is bracing for a long legal and political battle. “Education is our right. We will not allow our children’s learning to be destroyed for someone’s political gain,” said Serajul firmly.
For now, classes continue as normal at Madrasa Anjuman Islamia Faizul Uloom. But beneath the routine, there is a growing fear that this is not just a land dispute — it is a fight for the dignity and survival of Muslim education in Uttar Pradesh.
