On Tuesday, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education Act, 2004, which had been struck down by the Allahabad High Court in March this year. Iftikhar Ahmed Javed, the former chairman of the UP Madarsa Board, speaks to The Indian Express about the apex court’s order and the future of madrasas in the state. A BJP leader who was appointed the board chairman in September 2021, Javed’s tenure ended this September and the post has been vacant since. Excerpts:

I have noticed one thing during my tenure and even after my tenure ended. It is that some people have created problems because of their intolerance. It seems they have never seen a madrasa. But anyone can say what they feel like about the institutions. They need to see how the madrasas are functioning and where they are located. They give disadvantaged children access to secular and religious education in far-off places. There are some stray incidents or law-and-order situations, but do these not happen at schools and colleges?

Due to nefarious designs of some, the (2004) Act was challenged in the High Court and the matter was heard like a fast-track court. And finally the Court has struck down the Act. Some people wanted to kill the madrasa education system by going after the Act, which acts like the root of the madrasa education system. The Supreme Court order is a slap on the face of those who raised doubts over the education system in madrasas.

It seems the NCPCR has nothing to do but give statements against madrasas. The Commission is not doing anything on schools, but all the problems seem to be with madrasa education. The Commission also said that Hindu students should be removed from madrasas. Such doubts may be raised in future about schools being run by missionaries. And I would also like to point out that students at madrasas are going there of their and their parents’ free will. They (the NCPCR) should go to madrasas and see how they function and what the students study there… On the issue of Islamic teachings at madarsas, I would ask one thing – is religious education not imparted in Sanskrit Board schools in UP?

I don’t think studies were impacted… But there was a growing anxiety about what the Supreme Court was going to rule. We held the exams in February, announced the results. Subsequently, the new session also started and children were studying as they are supposed to. But one thing is that the modernisation of madrasas has been severely impacted as teachers under the (modernisation) programme have not been paid salaries for seven years. Most of them quit, and that has impacted modern education at madrasas.

Let’s see what happens and what the government does. Everyone wants modern education. The honourable Prime Minister has also said students should have the Quran in one hand and a computer in the other.

This has been an issue for a while, but the files are pending. What should happen is that madrasas giving such degrees should be brought under the ambit of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University in Lucknow. This is a good order by the apex court because if madrasas are affiliated with a university, it will help students get better opportunities.