There will soon be a closure of almost 1000 private madrassas in Assam. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam provided this information.
Assam’s administration is attempting to close private madrassas and convert them to regular schools through negotiations, according to Chief Minister Sarma.
CM Sarma posted on X, “1000 madrassas in Assam will soon be closed and the population of the indigenous Muslim community of the state will be monitored”.
असम में 1000 मदरसों को जल्द ही बंद किया जाएगा और राज्य के स्थानीय (indigenous) मुस्लिम समुदाय की जनसंख्या का अवलोकन किया जाएगा।#NewYearPressMeet pic.twitter.com/LCO7IYENZy
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) January 2, 2024
The Indian Constitution guarantees the protection of private madrassas. Religious educational institutions run by minorities are spared from government interference. The Assam police and education department, are attempting to close about a thousand private madrassas.”We are in talks with private madrassa bodies”, the chief minister of Assam stated.
The Assamese government has already closed all government-run madrassas in the state and converted them into regular schools.
After Jammu and Kashmir, Assam is home to the greatest number of Muslims. Assamese Muslims make about 4% of the state’s 3.12 crore population, with the majority of the remaining Muslims speaking Bengali. The Assamese government, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, has previously suggested setting up a development board for communities of indigenous Muslims.
The Directorate of Char Areas Development, Assam will now be known as the Directorate of Minority Affairs & Char Areas, Assam, according to a decision made during the Assam cabinet meeting. Native Assamese Muslims would undergo a socioeconomic evaluation by the Directorate of Minority Affairs & Char Areas.
Speaking about the Muslim community census in Assam, the chief minister announced that the five Assamese Muslim groups in the state had given their approval to the survey.
“We’ll finish the census by the end of 2024”, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma declared.
