New Delhi, August 21
Terrorists and jehadi groups, armed and trained in Pakistan-run camps
and madarsas, have been operating for several years in Jammu and
Kashmir, the only Muslim majority state in India. And yet, for all the
troubles in this border state, there is not a single madarsa in Jammu
and Kashmir.
In sharp contrast, Kerala, which is on the far end of the country, is peaceful and free from terrorist activity. Yet, it has 6,000 madarsas, the largest number in India. It shares this honour with Madhya Pradesh which has the same number of religious schools.
Uttar
Pradesh, which shares a long, porous border with Nepal, comes next, having 4,292 madarsas while Bihar is next on the list with 4,102 institutions. Of the 27,000-odd officially-listed madarsas in the country, Rajasthan has 1,985 and Gujarat 1,727.
This state-wise break-up was made available to Parliament by the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry.
The functioning of madarsas has been in the spotlight after the 9/11 terrorist attack as right-wing politicians have stepped up their charge that these institutions are being used by Pakistan’s ISI to train and mobilise jehadi groups.
This issue has figured in Parliament several times in recent years when BJP leaders pointed to the rapid spread of madarsas in border states, saying these are essentially centers of Islamic fundamentalists
indulging in anti-national activities and, therefore, need to be watched.
Going by this perception and given the scale of cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, the state should have a wide network of such institutions. Yet, it has none.
“This is yet another example of how incorrectly Jammu and Kashmir is perceived by the outside world,” says Lok Sabha MP Mehbooba Mufti, who heads J&K’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Contrary to popular belief, she said, the people of Kashmir have never believed in fundamentalism and the state is actually known for its composite
cultural character.
“The Islam practiced here is more moderate and has its basis in Sufism,” she explains.
The PDP leader believes that the growth of madrasas is primarily linked to economic problems. She said poor parents send their children to these schools as they are imparted free education here. The J&K Government, she explains provides free education to all children upto high school, adding that in the last two years, even nursery classes have been included in free schooling.
