MADRASSAS WERE REINFORCING SEPERATENESS

• The Task Force on Border Management, one of the four that were set up in the wake of the Kargil War, reported with alarm about the way madrassas had mushroomed along India's borders. On the basis of information it received from intelligence agencies, it expressed grave concern at the amount of money these madrassas were receiving from foreign sources.
• It reported that large numbers were being educated in these institutions in subjects that did not equip them at all for jobs – other than to become preachers and teachers producing the same type of incendiary unemployables.
• It expressed the gravest concern at the way the madrassas were reinforcing separateness in those attending them- through the curriculum, through the medium of instruction through the entire orientation of learning: the latter, the Task Force pointed out, was entirely turned towards Arabia, towards the golden ages of Islamic rule. It pointed to the consequences that were certain to flow from the Talibanisation of the madrassas.
• In spite of what the Task Forces themselves advised, namely that their reports be made public, the reports have been kept secret. Accordingly, I have summarised the observations of the Task Forces in some detail in Will the Iron Fence save a Tree Hollowed by Termites? Defence imperatives beyond the military, ASA Delhi 2005]


Author: Shri Arun Shourie,
I E 29/12/07