Assam police on Sunday asked all private madrasas to upload their details including the source of funding in an online portal to be opened soon in order to prevent use of such institutions for unlawful activities.
The directive comes at a time when the state police has been carrying out a "crackdown against jihadi activities" and the administration demolished three madrasas in August for allegedly aiding terror groups.
"According to our information, there are nearly 1,000 private madrasas in the state, some of which are not even registered with the bodies looking after activities of the madrasas. We want that there should be some kind of monitoring so that no unlawful organisations can use the madrasas to indoctrinate our local children and youth," Assam director general of police, Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta told reporters in Guwahati after a meeting with several Muslim socio-religious bodies.
"We requested them to ensure that such madrasas come under some kind of monitoring. Thus, We decided to set up a committee having representatives from the Muslim organisations. The committee will ensure that such madrasas disclose their details, land details, details of the teachers and funding source. The exercise is expected to be completed in six months," Mahanta said.
The BJP-led government had earlier closed down nearly 800 government-aided madrasas in the state stating that religious education can not be allowed with public funding. The government also asked the state police to step up vigil against the private madrasas in order to prevent use of such institutions by unlawful organisations.
Administration in Morigaon, Barpeta and Bongaigaon districts in Assam demolished three private madrasas in August following arrest of teachers associated with such madrasas. The administration said the madrasas were demolished as they were found violating construction and safety norms.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, however, said police investigation found that members of Islamic terror groups such as Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a Bangladesh-based banned group and an affiliate of al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) used madrasas in some places to carry forward their "jihadi activities." He said Mohammad Suman, a Bangladeshi national had joined a madrasa in Barpeta and set up a module of ABT before he was arrested in March.
The state police has arrested at least 37 persons including madrasa teachers since March this year for their alleged links with ABT and AQIS.