In what is being seen by many as a direct attack on Muslim educational institutions, the Uttarakhand government has sealed at least 170 Madrasas across the state in recent days.
According to officials, these Madrasas were operating without registration from the Uttarakhand Madrasa Board or the state education department. However, local Muslim leaders and Madrasa administrators argue that the move is part of a larger campaign to target the Muslim community under the guise of regulation.
In Haldwani’s Banbhulpura area—a Muslim-majority locality—a joint team of district administration officials, municipal corporation personnel, and local police conducted a special inspection drive on Sunday. Seven Madrasas were sealed during the operation for allegedly lacking registration and other required approvals.
A press release from the Chief Minister’s Office stated that the action was based on reports submitted by special survey teams deployed by the state government to investigate Madrasas across the state.
Madrasas in districts such as Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, and Haldwani are facing closures or investigations, raising concern among the Muslim populace.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, echoing long-standing Hindu nationalist rhetoric, claimed that educational spaces leading children towards radicalism would not be tolerated. He hailed the crackdown as a “historic step,” reinforcing narratives that associate Madrasas with extremism—an allegation strongly denied by Muslim scholars and community members.
Sources indicate that over 500 Madrasas in the state could potentially be shut down in the near future. Many of the sealed institutions have been serving their communities for decades.
