Celebrations amid controversy
PHOTO EXHIBITION Centuryold Lucknow madarsa starts IDay preparations
Though some madarsas in UP have registered a protest against the state government order to compulsorily make videos of Independence Day celebrations, the Darul Uloom Farangi Mahali, a madarsa in Lucknow’s Aishbagh Eidgah, is marking the occasion in a big way.
Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahli, Imam of the Eidgah, told HT on Independence Day eve, “We have put up a grand photo exhibition on the country’s freedom fighters inside our over-century-old madarsa where hundreds of students are taking keen interest.”
“We have exhibited photographs of Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh and many others who fought for freedom. Every photo exhibit has a brief profile of freedom fighters in Urdu and Hindi, so that one can read and get inspired.”
The madarsa also held the national flag painting and quiz competitions on Sunday. “A madrasa student is just as patriotic as others. There was no need to issue such an order, especially only to madrasas, which have been celebrating this day since 1947,” he said.
The state government had ordered that madrasas, or Islamic schools in UP to celebrate Independence Day and send video footage and pictures of the function. The move was criticised for “raising doubts on the integrity of madarsas”.
The order was issued by registrar of UP Madrasa Shiksha Parishad Rahul Gupta who said there was nothing wrong with the directive. “The letter has been issued with the right intention of helping madrasas organise the event in accordance with a uniform schedule,” he said.
The circular directs all madrasas to hoist the tricolour and sing the national anthem at 8am. The flag hoisting should be followed by a speech on the importance of the freedom struggle and the sacrifices made by freedom fighters.
However, there is a difference in the instructions that UP schools and madarsas have received. While the UP Madarsa Education Board and the State Basic Shiksha Parishad have both issued letters to celebrate Independence Day with patriotic fervour, it is only the madarsas that have been asked to videograph and photograph their I-Day celebrations.
The letter to the Basic Shiksha Adhikari does not mention any such recording of events at government primary schools.
The letter issued by the UP Basic Shiksha Parishad secretary Sanjay Sinha on August 11 reads: “Schools must celebrate the 70th I-Day with full patriotic fervour by unfurling the national flag at 8am. Schools have also been asked to encourage students to participate in cleanliness drives, hold discussions on the freedom struggle, pay tribute to freedom fighters, sing patriotic songs and plant saplings.”
The order of Yogi government about recording Independence Day celebrations at aided madarsas has invited a mixed response. Almost all the madrasas of the city celebrate the ‘Jashn-E-Azadi’ (Independence Day) with zeal.
Maulana Gufran of Darul Uloom Nizwan Farngi Mahal in Aishbagh says, “We are proud to be Indians but yes orders like these 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.”
Maulana Mushtaq of Madrasa Mazharul Islam Billauchpura in Lucknow said, “Muslims are no less patriotic than anyone else. The madrasa students and teachers will celebrate the independence day with enthusiasm. We don’t believe in the fatwa of the Bareilly maulana and we will sing the national anthem .” A prominent Bareilly cleric has asked the UP madarsas to not to sing national anthem and national song on I-Day.
Another maulana, Ammar Hasani of Mazharul Islamia Madrasa, says, “The state government must believe in us. There is no point in debating the order. We will follow it.” Maulana Haneef Nadvi of Madrasa Alli Mian Nadvi in Daliganj says, “The contribution of Muslims in freedom struggle has not been less. We will celebrate the day and also tell students about the sacrifices made by leaders like Mahatma Gandhi.”