Author: Pramod Kumar Singh
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: August 3, 2006
For Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, madarsas
are seats of learning and scholarly pursuit. In a speech at the Ahle-Hadeeth
complex in Jamia Nagar on July 24, he merrily gave a clean chit to madarsas
saying, "We believe that Islamic madarsas are seats of social service.
They are not the centres of terrorism."
But the Minister's words delivered in the
aftermath of the serial bomb blasts on Mumbai trains were in sharp contrast
to the information of his own security agencies.
Intelligence agencies have irrefutable evidence
to suggest that a majority of these madarsas are not only breeding grounds
of terror but are also in league with anti-India forces to bleed it through
a 100 cuts.
There are over 350 madarsas within 10 km of
the Indo-Nepal border in the Indian side. In central and eastern Uttar Pradesh
more madarsas have come up than in the western part.
Agencies mention border districts of Siddharth
Nagar, Maharajgnaj, Bahraich, Shrawasti, Balrampur and Lakhimpur Kheeri in
this connection.
In the 10km belt of the bordering districts
of Bihar such as West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Saupal,
Araria and Kishanganj over 180 madarsas have come up after 1993.
What has rung alarm bells in security set
ups is the setting up of madarsas on the Nepal border. Inter Services Intelligence
(ISI) of Pakistan and terrorist outfits have been funnelling funds and recruiting
jihadis from these schools of subversion, intelligence sources said.
Getting back to the Home Minister. In the
same speech he had said, madarsas, where knowledge of humanism is being imparted
and where human values are taught, could only be termed as "servants
of humanity."
Intelligence agencies are not too sure about
the syllabi, but they say that the banned Students Islamic Movement of India
(SIMI), accused of masterminding the 11/7 serial blasts, has a sizeable following
in these madarsas. Many are financed by petro-dollars and share a close association
with ISI agents while their premises are used as hideouts for Kashmiri militants,
ISI agents, gunrunners and criminals. They also serve as transit camps for
terrorists.
Patil went on to say that some vested interests
were trying to break the social fabric, communal harmony and brotherhood in
society which the Government would not allow.
But what about the charities in Saudi Arabia
and Pakistan with al-Qaeda connections which flush funds to madarsas that
recruit willing jihadis? Funds come to NGOs in Bangladesh and are routed to
India. Intelligence sources maintain that these madarsas are in receipt of
huge funds from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Managers of various madarsas and Ulemas maintain
close links with the embassy officials of these countries at Kathmandu.
Financial assistance is also channelised through
the Islamic Development Bank at Jeddah and Habib Bank of Pakistan.
Habib Bank after becoming a partner of the
Himalaya Bank, Nepal, has expanded its network in border areas of Birat Nagar
and Krsihna Nagar. Security agencies say foreign currency brought through
Habib Bank is converted into Indian currency and then channelised to madarsas.
Another headache for the Indian security agencies
is the unbridled growth of madarsas along Indo-Bangladesh border which has
955 mosques and 445 madarsas in 22 bordering districts of West Bengal on the
Indian side and 976 mosques and 156 madarsas in 28 districts on Bangladesh
side. 57 mosques and 88 madarsas have been constructed on the Indian side
in West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura during the last few years.
Agencies have warned about the activities
of such schools in Himachal Pradesh too. There are extremely disturbing intelligence
reports about the activities of 35 odd madarsas operating in seven districts
of the State. Even in the Western border of the country, Rajasthan to Gujarat,
the situation is deteriorating as can be seen from the fact that in border
district of Jaisalmer only, madarsas and muktabs are now more than 100 in
number, which was not even in double figure in 1980.
