Daulat Rahman/Guwahati

The All Assam Tanzim Madaris Qawmiya, the oldest and the apex madrassa regulating authority has decided to abolish small madrassas in the State. A survey conducted by the organisation has found that there are more than 400 unrecognized madrassas where students’ enrollment is less than 50.

“We are trying to amalgamate the small madrassas (less than 50 enrollment) with large madrassas to streamline the functioning of these religious institutions. Out of 400 such madrassas more than 40 have already been amalgamated with large madrassas. We are in touch with the rest of the madrassas for amalgamation. Some small madrassas are showing reluctance to merge with large madrassas due to the religious sentiment of local people. We have to understand the sentiment. We are dealing with such madrassas tactfully and carefully,” General Secretary of All Assam Tanzim Madaris Qawmiya Maulana Abdul Qadir Qasimi has told Awaz-The Voice.

Qasimi said the process of amalgamation would prevent mushrooming of madrassas in the State. He admits that anti-social elements always try to take advantage whenever there is mushrooming of madrassas.

Maulana Abdul Qadir Qasimi handing over the report to Assam Police Chief

Besides the All Assam Tanzim Madaris Qawmiya, the All Assam Talimi Taraqqi Board, Al Hafiz, Adara Madaris Islamia, and three other boards are running the private religious madrassas in the State.

Qasimi said an executive meeting of the All Assam Tanzim Madaris Qawmiya held on Monday decided to initiate various reform measures in madrassas in the State. He said for effective monitoring madrassas will have to affiliate with a single board. For example, a madrassa affiliated with All Assam Tanzim Madaris Qawmiya cannot join itself with other boards such as Al-Hafiz or Adara Madaris Islamia.

It may be mentioned that on the first day of New Year 2023, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that his government has decided to involve the Muslim community to modernize and rationalize madrassa education in the State. He said the Assam Police under the directive of Director General of Police (DGP)Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta is working with the Muslim community to rationalise madrasa education.

Assam Police Chief Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta holding a meeting with Madrassa heads in Guwahati

On other hand, the DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta recently held a crucial meeting with representatives of various private madrassas to streamline the functioning of such institutions in the State. The meeting held on December 25 at the Assam Police headquarters here took stock of progress made by private madrassas to modernize their education.

As per the plan, a portal will be launched soon to keep detailed information and records of private madrassas. The owners of madrassas will have to upload and update information about their institutions in the portal. Information like the background of teachers of madrassas, sources of salaries of teachers and other funds, and total land areas will have to be uploaded in the portal.

The December 25 meeting has asked the single apex body like All Assam Tanzim Madaris Qawmiya or Tanzim board to bring all unregistered private madrassas under its jurisdiction