CUTTACK: Reports of inmates of madrasas allegedly being subjected to mental, physical torture and even sexual abuse are trickling in from various parts of Cuttack district but the School and Mass Education and Women and Child Development departments seem oblivious to the issue.
On June 6 morning, residents of Apuja within Balipatna police limits had rescued two minor boys aged 13 and 10 years, who had run away from a madrasa at Nuagan Majhikhanda within Niali police limits. The minors, one from Bhagalpur in Bihar and the other from Godda district in Jharkhand alleged they were tortured by their teacher Rizwan. They were brought to the madrasa around one-and-a-half years back by Rizwan who taught 25 children.
The boys said they were being sexually and physically abused by Rizwan since their arrival at the madrasa. They were rehabilitated at a childcare institution by officials of Bhubaneswar Childline who also filed a FIR in this connection. Rizwan was later arrested by Niali police.
Similarly, as many as six boys aged between six and 12 who had reportedly run away from a madrasa at Sukarpara in Nischintakoili block, walked five km on the Cuttack-Kendrapara state highway and reached Nischintakoili bus stand on May 28 morning.
On being questioned by locals, the boys said they were fleeing the madrasa where they were admitted around a fortnight back. Alleging they were facing several problems at the madrasa, the boys said they were returning to their native villages. The boys were handed over to district Childline officials by police. They were later sent home by the district child welfare committee.
District education officer Krushna Chandra Nayak said Cuttack district has 13 authorised madrasas and several which are being run illegally. Expressing concern over the lack of monitoring of the madrasas, Cuttack district CWC chairman Pramod Kishore Acharya said the committee would collect data on the number of madrasas operating in the district. “We had made a field visit to Niali madrasa. The management of the madrasa showed us permission obtained from Waqf Board. We will go through the bylaws of the Waqf Board and initiate necessary action,” he said.