Varanasi madarsas to check entry of anti-nationals

By Staff
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Varanasi, Mar 16: Madarsas (seminaries) in this holy city today unanimously decided to prevent the ingress of 'anti-national' elements, in the wake of the March 7 twin blasts.

Secretary of Anjuman Intezamia Masajid, Mohd Yasin told UNI over phone that the arrest of an LeT suspect from a leading madarsa recently, followed by the March seven blasts, has once again prompted people to point fingers at the seminaries in the city.

''The office bearers of 11 of the 20 city madarsas met at the Jamia Salfia Urdu University here today and formulated universal guidelines for all seminaries of the city, pertaining to proper verification of admission seekers, besides those already studying,'' Mr Yasin added.

The meeting that was chaired by another secretary of Anjuman Intezamia Masajid, Badrealam Qureshi (Advocate), was attended among others by the supreme Muslim cleric of Varanasi, Maulana Abdul Batin Nomani, intellectuals and office bearers of 11 seminaries including Jamia Islamia, Jamia Salfia, Jamia Matluloom and Jamia Farooqia, Mr Yasin added.

The meeting passed unanimously formulated universal guidelines on proper verification of admission seekers, besides regulating the activities of existing students and also maintaining discipline in hostels to prevent the ingress of 'anti-nationals' in the Madarsas.

Mr Yasin, further, confided that from now on all Madarsas in the city will only provide admission to those who furnish duly attested Date of Birth Certificates, Residence and Address proof, besides transfer and character certificates issued by the educational institution last attended. All these documents must necessarily bear the duly attested recent photograph of the admission seeker -- all on the lines of prevailing practices at Deoband (Saharanpur), Mr Yasin added.

Besides, admission aspirants should also furnish a health fitness certificate issued by a certified medical practitioner, he added.

A coordination committee, headed by local scribe Atiq Ansari, has been constituted to harmonise the efforts of all madarsas towards enforcement of the guidelines, he said.

Besides, the sea change in admission procedures, Mr Yasin said, the meeting also okayed guidelines for keeping proper tab on the activities of existing students and entry of outsiders in the hostels.

''From now on all madarsas, besides, general attendance will have to ensure class wise attendance. Steps have also been taken to follow a restrictive policy of hostel admission, coupled with daily attendance of all hostel inmates and routine night checks to make sure no outsider creeps in,'' Mr Yasin said.

Besides, no leave will be sanctioned to students without proper application requesting for the same and a visiting register will also be maintained at all hostels and entrance of the madarsas to check the ingress of those with doubtful credentials, he maintained.

Photo identity cards will also be issued to all students of city madarsas.

The meeting, which was held under the banner of Anjuman Intezamia Masajid, the umbrella body under which affairs of over 20 city mosques are regulated, also decided to conduct regular programmes to infuse the spirit of ''Indianness'' among the Madarsa students akin to the Deoband system, Mr Ysain said.

It was also decided to organise a seminar at the Jamia Islamia towards the end of this month against ''Terrorism'', which will be participated by heads of all religions of this holy city.

The Coordination Committe headed by Mr Ansari has also been directed to hold meeting at regular intervals to monitor the progress of enforcement of the framed guidelines.

The supreme Muslim cleric of Varanasi, Mufti-e-Banaras Maulana Abdul Batin Nomani, said particularly, after the twin blasts at Sankat Mochan and Varanasi railway station, it had become essential to devise proper guidelines for madarsas in the city, to check entry of ''shady'' elements.

''We did not want to wait for any government appeal to get our house in order, but acted proactively to reform our admission system and also ensure proper scanning of all students,'' he added.

UNI

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