Assam: DGP meets Muslim groups, seeks assistance to bust jihadi modules

Guwahati: The Director General of Police, Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, called a meeting with various stakeholders of Islamic organisations that run madrasas in Assam and discussed issues such as proper regularisation of madrasas, funds raised to build them, registration of imams coming from other places and the importance of other subjects to be included in the curriculum.

The meeting comes close on the heels of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announcing that the state had made a few Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for imams arriving from other states.

“We have made a few SOP for imams coming from other states to practice religious rituals and teachings in any place of Assam. The resident has to first verify the imam’s antecedents from the local police station and then a government portal will be set up for registration,” Sarma had stated on August 22.

Stakeholders from Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, Ahl al-Hadji, Ahle Chunnat Jamaat and Nadwa Toh Tameri Sanghatana were present at the meeting. The responsibility for the survey of madrasas in Assam has been handed over to these four organisations within a time frame of six months. Upon completion of the survey, the Assam government will introduce rules and regulations to run the madrasas and a portal will also be launched for the registration of imams.

“In recent times, the influence of terror outfit, Al-Qaeda in India Subcontinent (AQIS) has been seen in many parts of Assam and the Islamic society is cooperating with the government to bust their modules. We had a discussion with the stakeholders and members of the community and they have agreed to form a regulatory board to oversee madrasas in Assam,” said Mahanta.

“We have agreed to offer full support to the Assam Government in this matter and all the stakeholders have agreed that irrespective of religion, no terror-linked organisation will be given shelter in Assam. The credentials of all the imams and madrasas will be verified. After a survey with other organisations, we will create a regulatory body which will not only help in the proper running of madrasas but also in maintaining peace and harmony in the state. We will introduce subjects from science and humanities so that our children can acquire good jobs and become responsible citizens of the country,” stakeholders from Nadwa Toh Tameri Sanghatana said.

More than 30 AQIS members, including a Bangladeshi national, who were members of five modules of the AQIS have been arrested. The favourable destination for these modules has been found to be madrasas in Assam.

Earlier CM Sarma had said that the imams of Assam did not have to register in the government portal. He had requested members of the Muslim community to be vigilant about such activities.

The Sarma government has closed down over 600 government-run madrassas in the state. About 800 madrasas run by non-government organisations are still functioning.

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