Indian court scraps UP madrasa law, effectively forcing Muslim students into govt schools

A court in India has recently prohibited Islamic schools in the most populous state of the country, a decision that may lead to further alienation of many Muslims from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist government as national elections approach.

The ruling on Friday annulled a 2004 law regulating madrasas in Uttar Pradesh, citing a violation of India’s constitutional secularism and mandating the transfer of students to mainstream schools.

The order from the Allahabad High Court impacts 2.7 million students and 10,000 teachers across 25,000 madrasas, as stated by Iftikhar Ahmed Javed, the head of the state’s madrasa education board, in a region where one-fifth of the 240 million population is Muslim.

“The state government must also guarantee that children aged between 6 to 14 years are not left without enrollment in duly recognized institutions,” the court judges emphasized in their verdict.

Muslims and advocacy organizations have accused certain BJP members and their associates of propagating anti-Islamic rhetoric, engaging in vigilante activities, and demolishing properties owned by Muslims.

India’s Muslim communities have faced decades of discrimination, which experts say has worsened under the Hindu nationalist BJP’s government. The recent enactment of 2019 citizenship law is a clear example, sparking fury among the community and right activists.