Uttar Pradesh: SIT formed to probe foreign funding’s received by madarsa’s in state

In a significant development concerning the Uttar Pradesh government’s efforts to monitor foreign funding of madrasas in the state, the government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) consisting of three members. This SIT, led by Additional Director General of UP ATS, Mohit Agarwal, will scrutinize the funds received by madrasas in the state from overseas sources.

It is noteworthy that Uttar Pradesh is home to over 25,000 madrasas, of which approximately 16,500 are officially recognised by the UP Board of Madrasa Education.

According to Mohit Agarwal, the ADG of Uttar Pradesh ATS, the SIT will conduct a thorough examination of the financial records of madrasas that receive funding from abroad. Additionally, the team will assess how funds obtained through foreign sources are allocated. The three-member SIT will investigate whether foreign funds received by state madrasas are being diverted for unlawful activities, such as terrorism or conversion.

“We will scrutinize how the funds received from foreign sources are being utilized. We will verify whether the money is being used for the operation of madrasas or for other purposes,” stated Additional Director General Mohit Agarwal. The other two members of the SIT are J Reebha, the director of the minority welfare department, and Triveni Singh, the SP of the Cyber Cell. The agency will give particular attention to madrasas active in districts along the Indo-Nepal border.

Agarwal mentioned that the government has not specified a timeline for concluding the investigation. Both registered and non-registered madrassas will be included in the probe.

Minister for minorities’ welfare, Dharmpal Singh, said, “Madrasas which are linked to any kind of anti-national activity will be probed. Around 4000 madrasas, most of them concentrated around the Indo-Nepal border, have been receiving foreign funds regularly. After the madrasa survey last year, authorities found that most madrasas in the border areas of late had been receiving big funds, but were unable to give an accurate account of the money.”

He further explained, “Our department lacks the expertise to obtain precise information about the origin and allocation of funds and for what purpose. Therefore, the state government has constituted an SIT to investigate the source and utilization of funds by various madrasas. Many madrasa administrations were not providing satisfactory responses when questioned about foreign funding. Hence, the state decided to conduct this investigation through the SIT.”

It’s worth recalling that in February of this year, the state government initiated an effort to trace the source of funding for over 1,500 unregistered madrassas in the Indo-Nepal border regions.

In October of the previous year, a state government survey revealed the existence of over 7,500 unregistered madrassas in the state. On September 1 of the same year, the Uttar Pradesh government announced its intention to survey unrecognized madrassas to gather information on details like teachers and students, curriculum, and any affiliation with non-governmental organizations.

In August last year, the government led by CM Yogi instructed district magistrates to conduct a survey of unrecognized madrassas. This two-month survey uncovered 8,449 madrassas that were not recognised by the state madrasa education board. Beyond Lakhimpur Kheri, Pilibhit, Shravasti, Siddharthnagar, and Bahraich near the Nepal border, more than 1,000 madrassas operate in various other nearby areas. Sources have reported a rapid increase in the number of madrassas in these regions over the past few years. Additionally, information was received about these madrassas receiving foreign funding.

The state has 16,513 recognised madrassas, with 560 of them receiving grants from the government. State officials indicated that this decision was made due to concerns about anti-national activities and forced conversions being facilitated with foreign donations.

The SIT will issue notices to all madrassas and request information about transactions in Foreign Exchange Earning Accounts (EEFC). Subsequently, those madrassas receiving foreign funds will be identified, and an investigation will be conducted into which countries the funds originated from and how they were utilised.

Dr Iftikhar Ahmed Javed, Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh State Madrasa Education Board, stated, “I have learned about the formation of the SIT through the newspapers, but if any madrasa has received foreign funding and has not provided details about its expenditure, then the matter should be investigated. There is no harm in that, and I hope that all madrassas will cooperate. Simultaneously, the SIT’s report on the madrasa probe should be made public so that people can gain a clear understanding of foreign funding in the state’s madrasas.”

He continued, “The SIT’s investigation into madrasa funds does not imply that all madrassas are anti-national. Rather, it’s an effort to cleanse the system and promote those madrassas that instill a sense of nationalism and patriotism in students. Additionally, the state government aims to modernize madrasa education, as we aspire for students to compete at the highest level. If all goes well according to plan, there is no doubt that in the future, madrassas will provide education of the highest standard, akin to missionary schools.”

On October 21, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) with the Uttar Pradesh state administration revised the madrasa syllabus run by the Darul Uloom organisation and removed a book and fatwas in use that legitimised sexual intercourse with minors, animals, and dead bodies in the name of certain rituals.

In an official statement, the Commission disclosed that they had received a complaint concerning the religious rulings issued by Darul Uloom Deoband. One of the rulings referred to a book titled ‘Bahishti Zewar’ by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi. The complainant also provided excerpts from the book that were cited in the religious rulings posted on Darul Uloom Deoband’s website. The book contained objectionable and unlawful content regarding children. On initial examination, the content presented in the complaint appeared to contravene legal provisions.

A notice was issued to the District Magistrate and the Senior Superintendent of Police in Saharanpur on July 14, 2023. They were requested to thoroughly scrutinize and investigate the content on the organisation’s website and promptly remove any objectionable material. Additionally, they were urged to restrict access to the website until the inappropriate content was removed and to provide the Commission with the curriculum, books, and other educational materials used for children in madrasas for further evaluation.

A detailed report on this can be read here by Organiser.