Daulat Rahman/Guwahati

The local Muslim people of Pakhiura char or riverine area of Goalpara district in Assam have set an excellent example of a united stand against the jihadi and anti-national activities.

The local people of the char area have come together and demolished a madrasa for allegedly carrying out terrorist activities by two Bangladeshi nationals. According to the police officials, between 2020-22, two Bangladeshi nationals, Aminul Islam and Jahangir Alam, used to teach in the said the madrasa.

They are members of an al Qaeda-linked organisation and are currently absconding. Search is on to arrest them, the police said. According to the police, no government official was involved in the demolition of the madrasa.

The madrasa was demolished and a house near the madrasa was also demolished as a sign of deep dissatisfaction with the jihadi activities voluntarily by the local Muslim people. It is the fourth madrasa in Assam to have been demolished in the last one month. Stating that Assam has become a hub of jihadi activities, the state government had earlier destroyed three madrasas using bulldozers.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that religious teachers of mosques and madrasas in Assam will have to register themselves on a government portal (to be launched in the coming days)if they come from outside Assam. According to the state government, organisations like al-Qaeda are trying to consolidate their strong bases in Assam. During the recent operation against them, 38 people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in terror activities.

Among those arrested are two mosque imams and two madrasa operators. But the Assam Police is yet to give a clear answer on what kind of anti-national activities were being carried by these arrested people and how they have harmed the country and Assam so far. Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta recently held an important meeting with representatives of several Muslim organisations associated with madrasas at the office of the Assam Police headquarters.

During the meeting the DGP has appreciated the efforts and co-operation of large section of Muslims against Jihadi activities in the State. He said such cooperation has resulted in arrest of more than 30 people for allegedly having links with Islamic terrorist outfits, in the state. The latest demolition of the madrassa in Goalpara by the local will go a long way in changing the perception that all Muslims are not jihadis and anti-national.

The recent meeting by the Assam Police chief has decided to launch a special portal to register all private madrassas and keep track of their functioning. All information about the madrasa has to be uploaded on this portal, starting from background of establishments, donations, teachers' salaries, land etc. All this information has to be uploaded by the madrasa authorities themselves.

Apart from this, the Islamic organisations will also have to look into the role of the board that manages the madrasa. Meanwhile, alarmed by the growing number of cases of arrest of jihadis from madrassas across Assam, heads of religious minority groups have decided to review the rules and regulations of their madrassas boards and keep a strict vigil on madrasas in the state.

Maulana Abdul Qadir Qasimi of the All Assam Tanzim Madarsa Madrasa Board said, "Any madrasa working without being associated with any board or organisation will not be recognised".

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Qasimin said, "It is true that if any person or group is found to be involved in any anti-national, anti-religious activities, strict action will be taken against him. We will give full support to the DGP Mahanta's initiatives to make madrassas free from Jihadi or anti-national activities. We want to be see madrassas as institutions to enlighten people about good teachings of Islam. We will make madrassas to impart modern education. "