National anthem at madrasas will inculcate nationalism in students: UP Minister

Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Dharmpal Singh said Thursday that the state government’s new directive for aided/recognised madrasas to start educational activities with national anthem and prayers is to inculcate nationalism among students. He also said that the survey of madrasas is being done to ensure that the children studying there get a quality education.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s idea is to ensure that even the poor Muslim children get quality education and have the Quran in one hand and laptop in the other. This is why we are conducting a survey of the madrasas,” the minister said in Hindi.
“After the survey, children studying there will be taught according to the NCERT curriculum. The students should also learn mathematics and science besides what they are learning today,” he added.
Earlier this month, the Uttar Pradesh government started the survey of madrasas in the state. It said the survey would be based on 12 aspects, including the infrastructure of the madrasas, the number of teachers and students, and also their source of funding.
The government move triggered a controversy as some people alleged that it was a move to target them and curtail their independence. However, Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani has said there’s no objection to doing the survey of unrecognized madrasas by the government.
“There is no opposition among us regarding the survey. We have instructed the Ulemas to give correct answers to whatever questions are asked to them and people should cooperate fully in the survey,” Madani has said.
All District Magistrates have been instructed to complete the survey by 5 October. The survey team will comprise the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, the Basic Shiksha Adhikari and the District Minority Officer. This team will hand over its report to the Additional District Magistrate, who will send consolidated reports to the District Magistrate.