The Assam government’s announced to shut down all government-run madrassas (Muslim theological schools) because it cannot allow religious education with public money.
State Education and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had on Thursday said, “No religious educational institutes will be allowed to function with government funds. We will bring out a notification in November to this effect. We have nothing to say about privately-run madrassas,” said. A notification will be issued next month he said.
“The Sanskrit tols (ashrams) matter was different.
The objection to government-run Sanskrit tols is that they are not transparent. We are taking steps to address this,” Sarma said.
The State Madrasa Education Board recognises 614 government madrasas and 900 private madrassas in Assam. While there are about 100 government Sanskrit tols and over 500 tols are private.
The government spends about Rs 3 crore to Rs 4 crore on madrassas in the state and about Rs 1 crore on Sanskrit tols annually as per the reports.
To this the AIUDF supremo and Lok Sabha MP Badruddin Ajmal said, “You cannot shut madrassas. After we come to power, we will take a cabinet decision to reopen these 50-60-year-old madrassas if this present government closes them forcibly…”
Earlier this year In February, Sarma had announced that the government planned to shut down not just government-run madrassas but also government-run Sanskrit ‘tols’ within a period of six months. He later justified it by saying that religious teachings cannot be carried out with government funds in a secular country.