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Criticism from his own party leadership has forced West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya to tone down his statements on the sensitive issue of closing down unauthorised madrasas in the state.
Bhattacharya has been very vocal against unauthorised madrasas, or Islamic seminaries, some of which, according to him, were being used by Islamic fundamentalists for antinational activities. He even said a crackdown on them was the anvil.
But he has been forced to clarify his remarks. ‘What I meant to say was that these madrassas should be affiliated to the state Madrassa Board. They should join the mainstream of the country.
“But some people are deliberately refusing to get affiliated to the Madrasa Board, and are teaching only Arabic and theology. Some anti-national elements are operating from these madrassas. This must be stopped.”
The affiliated madrassas also teach history, mathematics and science.
Apparently, the chief minister has been forced to soften his tone after his remarks raised the hackles of CPI (M). The central leadership of the CPI(M) is said to have expressed unhappiness over Bhattacharya’s open remarks against madrassas, or Muslim seminaries.
The CPI(M) leadership did not want any hue and cry over the changes in its policies towards the minority community because of political considerations. Muslims form 20 per cent of West Bengal’s vote bank.
But despite the Leftists’ unease over Bhattacharya’s utterances, the government is said to be going ahead with the proposed crackdown on a handful of unauthorised seminaries. The CPI(M) leadership might just want it to be discreet.
The chief minister first made the remarks in the wake of the January 22 terrorist attack outside the American Centre here in which four policemen were killed and nearly 20 people injured.
His comments evoked sharp reaction from the Jamiat-e-Uema-e-Hind, a powerful outfit of Muslim clerics that condemned the proposed action against unauthorised madrassas.
The outfit, which had opposed US action in Afghanistan, opposed the proposed crackdown saying sufficient evidence of anti-national activities by these Muslim seminaries had to be provided before any action’
‘Or else, we will not allow closure of these madrasas if the government tries to curb our fundamental rights, we will fight that with all our strength. We will not shy away from branding the communists as communal as well,’ said Shadeequila Maulana Chowdhury of the outfit.
Last year the government issued
a directive reviving a 15 -year-old legislation, which made government
endorsement mandatory for construction of new temples, mosques and churches.
The move had followed as intelligence reports showed an alarming growth
in the number mosques in the villages bordering Bangladesh. - IANS
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