Madarsas divided on anthem, united against videography

BAREILLY/MEERUT/LUCKNOW/ALIGARH: The recent Uttar Pradesh government order to madarsas directing them to celebrate Independence Day with patriotic favour, sing the national anthem and also get the celebrations videographed has left the Islamic schools divided on the anthem issue, although they are unanimously against videography.

Influential Barelvi cleric Asjad Miyan has decided to oppose the government order completely.

Miyan’s decision applies to over 1,000 Barelvi madarsas across the state. Over 300 of the madarsas are located in Bareilly and nearby districts. Miyan is, however, in favour of celebrating the day but without the national anthem and videopgraphy.

However, Mufti Abu Zafar, who heads the Deobandi mosque in Bareilly, opposed Miyan’s decision and announced that the day will be celebrated as per government directions in Deobandi madarsas. Like Barelvis, Deobandis are another prominent sect of Sunni Islam. Western UP has over 3,000 madarsas affiliated to the Islamic seminary Darul Uloom of Deoband.

Raghvendra Vikram Singh, district magistrate of Bareilly, said: “We have intimated the government about the decision of the Barelvi cleric and are waiting for directions.”

Meanwhile, madarsas in Meerut are gearing up for Independence Day celebrations but are not happy with the videography part of the government order.

People associated with madarsas said the order indicated that the government did not trust them and was demanding proof of their patriotism.

Meerut city president of Jamiat-e-Ulema-Hind and nayab shahar qazi Jainus Rasheedin said madarsas celebrated Independence Day and hoisted the tricolor every year.

However, he expressed dismay over the order to videograph the function. Mufti of madarsa Nurool Islam, Syed Ahmad, also objected to the order.

In Lucknow, the Darul Uloom Farangi Mahali, a madarsa in Lucknow’s Aisbagh Eidgah, is marking the occasion in a big way.

Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahli, Imam of the Eidgah, told HT, “We have put up a grand photo exhibition of the country’s freedom fighters inside our more than century-old madarsa. Hundreds of students are taking keen interest in it.” He has no issues with the government order.

But Maulana Gufran of Darul Uloom Nizwan Farangi Mahal in Aishbagh says, “We are proud to be Indians, but government orders like this raise a question mark on our patriotism, which is not fair. We will record the celebrations on mobile and send them to the authorities concerned.”

It may be recalled that Ajit Gaur, a resident Khair area in Aligarh, had filed a petition in the high court in 2014 wherein he had pointed out that “there are large number of madarsas in Aligarh and the country where the national anthem is not sung on Independence Day and Republic Day. National flag is also not hoisted there.”

On February 8, 2015 the high court issued directions to the state government to ensure that the national flag is hoisted and national anthem sung in madarsas. Now the UP government has issued orders to district minority officers to make sure that the “national flag is hoisted and national anthem sung in all madarsas.”

Speaking to HT, Gaur said: “I had filed the petition in the high court and it delivered its verdict. Now the Yogi government has issued necessary orders in this regard, which must be welcomed.”