LUCKNOW: A day after reports surfaced that many madrasas in western Uttar Pradesh sang ‘Sare jahan se achchha’ instead of the national anthem on Independence Day despite the government orders, UP minister of state for Minority Welfare Baldev Singh Aulakh said on Thursday that a report in this regard would be sought from institutions across the state.
According to reports from western UP districts, some madrasas not only flouted the order to sing the anthem calling it a breach of their religious belief, but also refused to video record the event as directed by the UP Madarsa Education Council.
“I will seek a report from all madrasas in this connection," Aulakh said. "If any madrasa is found guilty of non-compliance of the GO, action will be initiated in consultation with the official concerned,” he stated.
According to Bareilly divisional commissioner P V Jagan Mohan, the violators may face action under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act.
However, a majority of madrasas complied with the GO and organised the Independence Day function in accordance to the circular issued two days in advance by the government.
Immediately after receiving the GO, Shehr Qazi Maulana Asjad Raza Khan of Bareilly had appealed to the community to sing ‘sare jahan se achchha Hindustan humara’ written by Allama Iqbal. He had claimed that Tagore wrote the national anthem in praise of the then British King George V.
“According to Islam, our 'adhinayak' is God and not George. We do not disrespect the national anthem but can't sing it due to our religious sentiments,” he was believed to have said.
The Bareilly cleric had ruled out videography of I-Day celebrations in madrasas, claiming it to be against Islam. He had said that if the government wanted proof of the activities, they should deploy officials to watch the programme as photography and videography were un-Islamic and prohibited by Sharia, the rules of which were taught in madrasas.
He had appealed to managers of madrasas to hoist the national flag, sing Sare jahan se achchha, distribute sweets and remember freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the nation. Pilibhit shehr mufti Maulana Jartab Raza Khan too had echoed the sentiments and sought chief minister Yogi Adityanath's intervention in withdrawing the order.
Meanwhile, all 123 madrasas in Varanasi district, including 23 government-aided ones, were asked on Thursday to submit video proofs or photographs of the celebrations at the district minority welfare office within a week.
Even after two days of the celebrations, no madrasa had submitted the photographs and video CDs to the department concerned said Varanasi district minority welfare officer (DMWO), Vijay Pratap Yadav.
The registrar of UP Board for Madarsas Education had sent a GO to all DMWOs in the state on August 2, saying that it was mandatory to hoist the national flag and sing the national anthem at all madrasas on I-day.