Lucknow: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board, alongside other organizations, issued a joint statement on Saturday, denouncing the Uttar Pradesh government's order to transfer students from Madarsas to government schools. They asserted that efforts to undermine Madarsas will not be tolerated.

The statement, signed by leaders from the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, and Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith, strongly condemned attempts to diminish the status and identity of Madarsas in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and other states under various pretexts. “We categorically state that the directives issued by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights to state governments concerning minority educational institutions, i.e., Madarsas, are illegal and beyond the commission’s jurisdiction,” the statement read.

“Following these directives, the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh has instructed district authorities to survey Madarsas and transfer students from 'unrecognized schools' (independent Madarsa) to government schools. A list of 8,449 'unrecognized schools' – independent Madarsas have been published, including renowned and historical institutions such as Darul Uloom Deoband, Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulema, Lucknow, Mazahir Uloom, Saharanpur, Jamia Salafia-Varanasi, among others,” it added.

The statement also mentioned that this circular from the Chief Secretary and the pressure from district authorities are blatantly illegal. The religious organizations termed the order an attack on their personal right to choose and on the joint Indian culture and civilization. “Now, Muslim students are also being pressured to obtain basic education under the Right to Education Act. Administrators of these Madarsas are being threatened with action in case of non-compliance,” the statement read.

It was also alleged that in Madhya Pradesh, the government has taken a step further by compelling students in Madarsas to perform Saraswati Vandana daily. “We, the responsible members of Muslim religious and national organizations, and heads of religious schools and universities, deem it necessary to clarify that under Article 30(1) of the Constitution, minorities have the fundamental right to establish and administer their educational institutions. Additionally, the Right to Education Act explicitly exempts religious schools,” the statement read.

The organizations, in their joint statement, mentioned that the sudden and unilateral actions by the Chief Secretary are an unwarranted attempt to disrupt this longstanding and stable system, causing educational damage to millions of children and imposing undue mental and psychological pressure on them. “We demand that the administration of these states cease these illegal, unethical, and oppressive actions and not jeopardize the future of children. We stand resolute to take all possible legal and democratic actions to change these minority-hostile policies of the state governments,” the statement added.

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