India’s Largest State Bans Islamic Schools Ahead of Election
In a bold move just weeks before a crucial nationwide election, a court in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, has effectively outlawed Islamic schools by striking down a key law governing madrasas.
The Allahabad High Court’s ruling on Friday declared the Madrasa Act of 2004 unconstitutional, ordering the state government to transfer students enrolled in the Islamic education system to mainstream schools.
Describing the Madrasa Act as a violation of India’s secular principles enshrined in the constitution, the high court emphasized the state’s duty to provide education in a secular manner without favoring any particular religion.
Madrasas offer a unique educational system where students learn about the Qur’an and Islamic history alongside traditional subjects like mathematics and science.
While some Hindus opt for an equivalent system called Gurukuls, which focus on ancient Vedic scriptures, the recent court ruling specifically targets Islamic schools.
With a significant Muslim population of around 20%, Uttar Pradesh is a key battleground for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The court’s decision impacts over 2.7 million students and 10,000 teachers across 25,000 madrasas in the state, setting the stage for a potential legal battle in the Supreme Court.
As India gears up for its mammoth election with nearly a billion eligible voters, the ruling BJP is poised to extend its rule amid a growing religious divide in the country.
While the court’s rationale aligns with India’s constitutional tenets of secularism, critics point to Modi’s controversial track record of undermining the country’s secular traditions.
His involvement in the inauguration of a contentious Hindu temple built on a demolished mosque exemplifies the BJP’s shift towards a more Hindu-centric narrative, sparking concerns among the Muslim minority.
With Assam already converting Islamic schools to regular institutions, opposition leaders accuse the BJP of exploiting anti-Muslim sentiments to consolidate Hindu votes, further deepening religious tensions in the nation.
