By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Haridwar 4 Sep: Another illegal madrasa operating in the Bandarjood area of Bhagwanpur has been sealed by the district administration following a confrontation among its operators that prompted police intervention. Tehsildar Dayaram, accompanied by the police personnel and Kanungo Lekhraj Gupta, arrived at the Mazhar ul Uloom madrasa on learning of the clash, and sought valid affiliation documents related to the madrasa from the operators, which they failed to provide, leading to the immediate sealing of the premises.
According to information received, four people were injured last Thursday in a clash between the madrasa operator and another party associated with it.
It may be reminded here that this action forms part of a broader campaign led by the Uttarakhand government to enforce compliance under the Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board Act, 2023, which mandates all madrasas to register with the official board. Unregistered institutions conducting religious or educational activities are subject to closure. In Haridwar alone, approximately 79 illegal madrasas have been sealed thus far, while over 135 madrasas have been shut down across the state. Since early this year, the state has intensified its crackdown, with more than 170 unregistered institutions sealed statewide, particularly in districts such as Haridwar, Dehradun, and Udham Singh Nagar. Official sources claim that majority of these madrasas lacked both mandatory registration and building permissions, raising concerns over safety, curriculum standards, and the legitimacy of their operations.
The state’s assertive policy in this respect, implemented by Pushkar Singh Dhami Government, has been hailed by the government and the BJP as a historic step against institutions which have allegedly been promoting radicalism under the guise of education. The officials underline the necessity of ensuring that all educational entities comply with legal and safety norms. On the other hand, various civil society voices and madrasa authorities argue that the campaign has been carried out hastily, often without proper notice or due process, causing significant disruption to students’ education.
Intervention in certain cases by Uttarakhand High Court has resulted in directing the operators of sealed madrasas, including notable entities like Jamia Rajbia Faiz‑ul Quran, to file affidavits promising not to resume any activities until formal recognition is granted to them. The court also reserved the right to determine the future use of such sealed premises. However, temporary unsealing was allowed in a few cases on strict conditions. The Government claims that fully recognised institutions continue to function in the state with full government support.
The officials claim that the sealing of the madrasa in Bandarjood in Bhagwanpur is legally in line with the state’s push for registration and regulation of madrasa education. It may also be recalled that the rules and regulations regarding operations of Madrasas in Uttarakhand have now been replaced with an umbrella act passed in Monsoon session of the state assembly in Gairsain which covers all the minority institutions including, Sikh and Jain institutions.
