A representational image of a madrasa
Refusing to implement the Uttarakhand BJP government’s order, madrassas said that displaying photos of individuals in mosques or madrassas is against Islamic teachings. They also clarified they are not against any individual
Caravan News
DEHRADUN — The BJP’s obsession with madrassas has now spread from the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh to the neighbouring Uttarakhand, also ruled by the saffron party, where the government recently ordered all educational institutions, including madrassas, to display a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in their premises. The Islamic seminaries have refused to implement the order citing Islamic teachings.
Soon after the last Independence Day (August 2017), the six-month-old state BJP government had issued the fiat to all educational institutions including madrassas to display a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in their premises and take a pledge to ensure building a new India by 2022 in accordance with his vision.
The same order was reportedly re-issued by the state minority welfare department to all district minority welfare officers to ensure the implementation of the order. Consequently, district minority welfare officers asked madrassas to “put up a picture of PM Modi in your respective madrassas.”
While four months after the order, it is not clear how many mainstream educational institutions or those run by minorities other than Muslims implemented the order, the news has flashed that madrassas have refused to follow the state BJP government order.
“Madrassas in the state have not installed pictures of the PM because of religious considerations as Islam prohibits installation of pictures of living beings in mosques and madrassas,” Deputy Registrar of Uttarakhand Madarsa Board Akhlaq Ahmad was quoted as saying by PTI news agency. The madrassa official also made it clear that the decision should not be taken as their opposition to any particular individual.
“They aren’t opposed to any individual in particular. It is purely due to religious beliefs. Islam does not permit us to install pictures of living beings or individuals, including religious leaders inside mosques or madrassas,” Ahmad said. He also informed that the Uttarakhand Madrasa Board office in the state capital and all its district offices already have a picture of PM Modi.
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The obsession with madrassas here seems to have come from the neighboring Uttar Pradesh, which is also ruled by BJP.
Soon Yogi Adityanath assumed office of Chief Minister in India’s largest state, his government has been issuing instruction after instruction to madrassas. Just before the last Independence Day, the state BJP government had asked the Islamic seminaries to unfurl the National Flag, sing national anthem, video-record all these activities and send its copy to the government.
And now the Yogi government has curtailed holidays enjoyed by madrassas – from 92 to 86. Moreover, the government has reportedly increased holidays during several non-Muslim festivals like Diwali, Dusshera, Mahavir Jayanti, Buddha Purnima, Raksha Bandhan and Christmas, and reduced Ramazan holidays from 46 days to 42.
