Fearing ‘bulldozers’, madrassas brace for UP government’s ‘survey’

Lucknow: With the UP government set to conduct a survey of private madrassas, proprietors of the theological schools fear that their institutions may be declared illegal and “run over by bulldozers”. As per sources, the fear was expressed by them on September 6 in New Delhi at a meeting of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, one of the leading organisations of Islamic scholars belonging to Deobandi school of thought. However, state minister Danish Azad Ansari said the apprehension has no basis. The Muslim body’s president Maulana Arshad Madani told PTI, “Nobody has any objection if the government wants to conduct a survey of private madrassas but care should be taken so that it doesn’t interfere in their internal matters.”The sources said it was decided at the meeting that views of the Muslim community will be placed before the government, a close eye will be kept on the exercise and a steering committee be formed to protest any wrongdoing. It was also decided to hold a meeting on September 24 in Darul Ulum Deoband to chalk out the future course of action. UP’s Minister of State for Minority Affairs Danish Azad Ansari assured that no centre will be razed. “Those expressing such an apprehension should tell if any madrassa was brought down by any bulldozer in the previous 5 years of the state government. The anxiety has no basis,” he told PTI.