India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI: All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has urged UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath to withdraw an order mandating the transfer of students from unrecognized madrasas to government schools.
The request was made by AIMPLB during a meeting of AIMPLB’s delegation with the chief minister in Lucknow recently.
Board spokesperson Dr SQR Ilyas said in a statement that the meeting was constructive and the chief minister did not disagree with their views.
Dr Ilyas said the Chief Minister assured the delegation that he would review the matter. If the order is not rescinded, the AIMPLB is considering legal action.
The delegation, led by AIMPLB General Secretary Maulana Fazlur Rahman Mujaddidi, initially planned to contest the order issued by the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh but opted first to meet with the Chief Minister to present a memorandum. The meeting, which lasted half an hour, involved detailed discussions on issues related to madrasas.
DR. Ilyas said that the government’s list includes 8,449 madrasas, encompassing both large and small institutions not affiliated with the Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Board, such as Darul Uloom Deoband and Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama. He argued that the order violates constitutional rights under Articles 14, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, and 30, which allow minorities to establish and manage their own institutions.
Dr. Ilyas also pointed out that madrasas are exempt from the Right to Education (RTE) Act but still provide modern education. Graduates from these institutions often pursue higher education at prestigious universities such as Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Aligarh Muslim University, and Banaras Hindu University.
The delegation questioned whether the government has adequate capacity in its schools to accommodate the displaced madrasa students and what would happen to the teachers who might lose their jobs. They urged the Chief Minister to rescind the order, to which he responded that he would consider their concerns. Dr. Ilyas described the meeting as constructive and noted that the Chief Minister did not disagree with their views. The AIMPLB will await further developments before deciding on the next steps.
