Muslims say the order to remove the word ‘madrasa’ and stop educational activities from unregistered institutions is discriminatory
DEHRADUN – The Uttarakhand High Court has recently ordered that all unregistered madrasas must immediately remove the word “madrasa” from their name and cease all educational activities, or face strict legal action. The verdict, delivered by Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari, has sparked widespread concern among the Muslim community in the state, who see it as another attempt to suppress their religious and educational institutions under the guise of law and order.
The order came during the hearing of petitions filed by more than 33 sealed madrasas, including Madrasa Abu Bakr Siddiqui, Madrasa Jannatul Quran and Madrasa Darul Islamiya, which were shut down by the district administration on 14 April 2025.
While the government maintains that the closures are based on irregularities and lack of official registration, madrasa authorities and Muslim organisations allege that the move is politically motivated, aiming to weaken minority education and stigmatise Muslims further.
The high court has made its position clear that unregistered madrasas cannot function as educational institutions. Justice Tiwari stated that such institutions may only be used for religious purposes, not for running schools.
The order also directed that if these institutions wish to reopen, they must submit an affidavit assuring the authorities that no educational activities will be carried out. The state government would later decide what limited activities may be allowed inside such premises.
Furthermore, the court instructed that district administrations must take “immediate action” if any unregistered body continues to use the word “madrasa” in its name, a move that has raised eyebrows among legal experts who say no such restrictions are imposed on Hindu religious schools or ashrams functioning without registration.
The state government has tried to justify the closures by arguing that only 416 madrasas are registered with the Madrasa Board in Uttarakhand, while many others are running without approval. According to government officials, the institutions that were sealed were conducting activities without the board’s permission and irregularities were found during inspections.
In its affidavit, the government said that registered madrasas continue to receive recognition and financial support from the state, while only unregistered ones have been targeted.
Officials further claimed that “alternative arrangements” have been made so that the students whose institutions were sealed would not lose access to education. However, parents and teachers allege that these so-called arrangements are inadequate and children are being deprived of learning in their own cultural and religious environment.
For Muslims in Uttarakhand, this development has caused deep hurt. They believe the ruling is another step in a long series of measures aimed at marginalising the community.
Maulana Shamsuddin, the head of one of the sealed madrasas, said in a statement: “We had applied for registration, but the process is deliberately being delayed. Instead of helping us, the authorities came with police and sealed our classrooms. They have silenced the voices of hundreds of children who only wanted to study.”
Another petitioner, a teacher from Madrasa Jannatul Quran, said: “We are being treated like criminals for teaching our children. Why are only Muslim institutions asked to prove themselves again and again? Are unregistered Hindu schools also being sealed in the same way?”
Muslim parents also expressed anger. A father from Dehradun, whose son was studying in Madrasa Darul Islamiya, said: “My child has been crying since the school was closed. He asks me why they don’t want him to learn. How can I explain to him that this is not about education, but about politics?”
So far, 214 madrasas have been shut down across Uttarakhand. The closures have largely taken place in Muslim-populated areas, causing alarm among the community. Critics say such actions are not about regulation but part of a larger campaign to target Muslims under the cover of legality.
Political observers also point out that the ruling comes at a time when elections are approaching in the state, and the government is keen to consolidate Hindu votes by portraying madrasas as suspicious institutions.
A senior journalist in Dehradun noted: “There is a pattern here. By sealing madrasas, the government sends a message to its majority supporters that it is tough on Muslims. The law is just a tool; the real aim is politics.”
Muslim organisations argue that Hindu religious schools, gurukuls, and ashrams often function without registration but face no such treatment.
Advocate Rizwan Khan, who is representing some of the affected madrasas, questioned the selective approach:
“Why is the word ‘madrasa’ itself being targeted? If an institution is unregistered, the law should apply equally to everyone. But here, the focus is only on Muslim schools. This is not regulation, this is discrimination.”
He added that the order effectively criminalises the very identity of Muslim institutions: “To ask us to stop using the word ‘madrasa’ is like asking Hindus to stop calling their places of worship temples unless they are registered. This is an attack on identity, not just legality.”
The BJP-led state government has faced criticism in the past for promoting a Hindutva-driven agenda, often at the cost of minorities. From bulldozer actions on Muslim properties to restrictions on religious practices, the pattern has been widely discussed.
Political analyst Anjali Verma told Clarion India: “Targeting madrasas fits well into the larger narrative of Hindutva politics. It allows the government to show its core voters that it is standing against Muslims, while using the language of law and order to avoid legal challenges.”
Verma added that such moves also serve as a distraction from unemployment and other pressing issues: “Whenever economic failures become too visible, the focus shifts to Muslim institutions. It is a political craft that has been perfected over the years.”
Perhaps the most tragic outcome of this controversy is the effect on students. Hundreds of children are now left without schools. Many were studying basic subjects like mathematics, science, and languages, in addition to religious studies.
A mother from Haridwar, whose daughter studied at one of the sealed madrasas, said: “They say education is important, but they have taken away our child’s school. She now sits at home. We are poor people; we cannot send her to private schools. Is this justice?”
Child rights activists have also spoken against the closures. Rameshwar Singh, a social worker in Dehradun, remarked: “Even if registration was pending, the government should have found a solution without destroying children’s future. Shutting down schools overnight is not governance, it is cruelty.”
The order has also deepened fear among Muslims in Uttarakhand. Many now worry that their institutions—mosques, dargahs, and charities—could be the next target.
Mohammad Yasin, a shopkeeper in Roorkee, said: “First they said our houses were illegal, then our shops, now our schools. What will be left for us tomorrow? It feels like we are being erased slowly.”
Local Muslim leaders have begun organising protests and legal challenges, but they fear retaliation from authorities. They say the crackdown is designed to weaken the community’s confidence and make them second-class citizens in their own land.
The Uttarakhand High Court order has not just raised questions about unregistered institutions, but about the larger issue of equality before law. By singling out madrasas and even banning the use of the very word, the move risks deepening communal divisions.
As one Muslim elder in Dehradun put it: “We are not against rules. Register us, guide us, help us. But do not shut down our schools and silence our children. This is not justice, this is prejudice.”
For now, the children of 214 closed madrasas remain without classrooms, their futures uncertain. And for Indian Muslims, the order is a reminder that their struggle for dignity, equality, and recognition is far from over.
