Jammu Madrassa Urges Administration to Drop its 'Forced Takeover'

Srinagar: The management of Islamic seminary Jamiat ul Sualihaat in Jammu’s Bathindi area has urged the authorities to withdraw its recent decision to take over the institution, where more than 350 girls are enrolled for religious studies. 

The Madrassa has submitted a memorandum before the Jammu administration calling the takeover “arbitrary,” which has unsettled the entire community across the region.  

Mohammad Waseem Bhat, who teaches at the seminary, said that the authorities had deployed a few policemen at the institution’s entrance since the officials from several departments, including the revenue and education department, arrived earlier this week for the “takeover”. 

“There was no notice, no heads up before the forced takeover. There are police personnel posted as security guards at the gate, and a few employees from the education department are staying inside the institute’s office,” he told NewsClick.

Divisional Commissioner of Jammu- Ramesh Kumar, said the decision was “taken as per an official order.” 

The Madrassa, according to Bhat, was established in the year 1997, and the construction continued until  2008. Bhat says that the administration has decided to argue that the seminary is affiliated with a trust – Maulana Ali Mian Education Charitable Trust that they believe is allegedly involved in collecting funds from abroad.

Bhat, however, denied any affiliation of the institute with the trust. The seminary's principal, Moulana Shakeel urf Rahman, is also the trust's chairman. 

“The trust was registered much later in 2008, following which it received the FCRA (Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act) registration in 2012. It is a separate entity meant for social work and has been doing so, especially in the wake of the 2014 floods and later on during other calamities like the outbreak of Covid-19,” Bhat added. 

The trust has built scores of mosques and similar religious seminaries across the Jammu division through its foreign funding, following which the Crime Branch of the Jammu and Kashmir police filed an FIR under the relevant sections of the foreign contributions act. The Jammu administration has also directed several officials in the winter capital to inquire about the nature of the land on which the construction has been made. 

According to the management, most students in the institute belong to rural and far-flung areas. They are enrolled after completing their primary schooling until 8th or 12th standard, after which they are admitted for a five-year religious course and receive training in housekeeping and stitching. 

The management has also appealed to the authorities that such targeting of religious institutions will set a precedent and heighten the hostilities in the region. 

“Muslims in Jammu are disappointed due to the incident. They believe it is harassment and are also concerned about their children's future. They also believe that this incident has put their religious freedom at stake,” the memorandum read.