Islamic educational institutions in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh are facing renewed harassment after authorities issued fresh notices to madrasas in defiance of a High Court ruling that allowed them to reopen.
The latest case involves Madrasa Masudiya Darul Uloom Yateemkhana Basheer in Shravasti district, which has been asked to submit detailed information on its land, buildings, syllabus, audit reports, and funding. Lawyers say the move amounts to contempt of court and highlights the systematic criminalisation of Islamic schools (madrasas) in the state.
Earlier this month, the Allahabad High Court ordered the reopening of 30 madrasas in Shravasti that had been sealed by the local administration, dismissing government arguments and stressing that “education must not be interrupted.”
Advocate Ali Mueed, who is representing Madrasa Masudiya, told local reporters: “This notice is a clear violation of the High Court’s orders. Instead of following the law, the Uttar Pradesh government is misusing its power to run a campaign against madrasas.”
Many other Muslim organisations echoed his concerns. Diwan Sahib Zaman, General Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Madrasa Association, argued that the authorities were undermining the judiciary.
He said: “The administration should have first respected the High Court’s order by ending the illegal closures. Only after that could any further notice be justified. Targeting madrasas in this manner is unfair and one-sided.”
He added that the Right to Education Act does not apply to madrasas or Vedic schools. “Singling out madrasas is nothing but discrimination,” he said.
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The latest move has fuelled deep anxiety in Shravasti’s Muslim community. A teacher at the madrasa said children were “confused and scared” when they learned of the notice, fearing classes would be suspended again.
Parents have also expressed concern. Mohammad Rashid, whose two children attend the school, said: “Our children want to study, but the government is treating madrasas as if they are illegal camps. Why is only Muslim education being questioned?”
Madrasas are Islamic schools that provide religious education to millions of children up to the age of 18. In South Asia, they have historically been a vital means of education for poor families, especially in rural areas.
India has an estimated 25,000 recognised madrasas and tens of thousands unregistered ones. For many of India’s 200 million Muslims, the country’s largest religious minority, these institutions remain one of the few affordable avenues for children to access education.
