Author: S Gurumurthy
Publication: The New Indian Express,
Chennai Edition
Date: April 29, 2002
India borders three countries, Pakistan,
Bangladesh and Nepal, which have intense Islamic terrorist activities.
From our security point of view, the developments in these countries are
crucial.
First look at the largest Jehadi
factory in the world today, that is, Pakistan. Technologically competent
modern version of Islamic Jehad against infidels took roots not in Afghanistan
as many seem to think. It is in Pakistan. This is how a Pakistani writer
describes how Pakistan as a state and as a society built up Jehadi spirit
and Jehadi structures.
"The aim was clear. These madarsas
had a single function. They were nurseries designed to produce fanatics."
"The dragon seeds sown in 2500 madarsas produced a crop of 2,25,000 fanatics
ready to kill and die for their faith when ordered to do so by their religious
leaders". Says another scholar: "(the) madarsas, religious training schools
breed the Taliban mindset and feed the mills of Islamic fundamentalism
and militancy". A third one says: In the madarsas, children "are indoctrinated
in the military tactics of Jehad."
The situation in Bangladesh is comparable
if not worse. This is what Far Eastern Economic Review in its issue dated
April 4, 2002, says about the jehad linked madarsas. "The radicals' ranks
are being swelled by 64000 madarsas, or religious schools which have mushroomed
in the past decade and are described by a high-ranking civil servant as
a "potential time bomb" ....... The madarsas focus on religious instruction
and many are funded by proselytising Arab charities as in Pakistan whose
madarsas were nurseries for many of Afghanistan's Taliban leaders. Some
analysts fear Bangladesh's Madarsas could also become exporters of Islamic
revolution."
The situation in Nepal is as bad.
Says the Indian Intelligence report "Madarsa Nepal Jamia Milia Islamic,
Suruchia, Biratnagar is a centre of fundamentalist and anti-India elements.
This madarsa runs with funds received from Saudi Arabia..... Maulanas of
madarsas keep very close relationship with the officials of Pakistan high
commission.... Some madarsas were notorious for having links with Pakistan
based terrorist outfits.... Madarsas in border areas are bring used to
select and motivate cadres' for Jehad.... Some madarsas also provide shelter
to terrorists...... Some of them are caching arms and are promoting anti-India
activities. .....Maulana Abdul Rauf Rehamani, of Nazim Madarsa Siraj ul
Uloom, Jhandanagar, provides pan Islamic funds to fundamentalist institutions
on both sides of the border. Rauf's position as a member of the founding
committee of the Muslim World League makes him very resourceful in the
matter." So goes the report.
So the situation is bad in India
and around India. In all four countries these Jehad factories abound. But
how do these countries respond to the Madarsa-led Jehad efforts.
The world's largest supplier of
Jehadis, Pakistan, is now under pressure from the US to act on madarsas.
Pakistan government has started to initiate regulations on madarsas. The
Indian Intelligence report says, "these measures are precipitated due to
increasing realisation that Madarsas are an essential cog in the wheel
of terrorism."
In his famous address to Pakistan
on January 12, 2002, Musharraf declared "a new Madari strategy', meaning
new deal for madarsas, so that they are brought 'to the mainstream through
a better system of education'. The Pakistan President's new strategy includes:
first, survey of the 10,000 madarsas (the government has in fact a 21-point
questionnaire to elicit information from them); second, registration of
all madarsas with big ones being registered at the national level, the
medium ones at the provincial level, and the small ones at the district
level so that there are no unregistered madarsas at all. In fact the last
date for registration was set as March 23, 2002 that is within 10 days
of Musharraf's address to the nation; third, an education board has been
set up to draw up a curricula for madarsas which will include study of
science, maths, English, besides religion and will lead to normal degrees
like BA and MA; fourth, the government has also decided to establish model
madarsas in three centres.
Likewise in Nepal too, the government
decided on January 31, 2002, to regulate madarsas because, according to
the Intelligence report, "these are suspected to be the main breeding ground
of terror." It mandated similar measures like Pakistan, including directing
the registration of all madarsas by March end, 2002, and further directing
the madarsas to submit their accounts to the government for scrutiny.
Musharraf himself was a self-confessed
Jehadi before September 11, 2001. Even he is scared of the Madarsas, which
are Jehad factories. It suited Pakistan so long as the Jehad was targeting
India. But the moment the Jehad began explicitly targeting the US, the
Jehad factories and Jehadis in Pakistan became a burden and problem for
Pakistan, which is just a proxy for the US. So overnight Musharraf changed
his colours. He ceased to be a Jehadi. He is now an ex-Jehadi.
But see in comparison what we are
doing. If Pakistan is burdened by 10,000 madarsas, we have 30,000 of them
here. If there are a million students imbibing Jehad in Pakistani madarsas,
we have double that number memorising the religious verses, which mandate
Jehad against infidels. Many of these madarsas are undoubtedly linked to
terror and terrorists.
This is what the Intelligence Report
says in conclusion about the madarsas in India. "Despite the burgeoning
suspicion against their ideology and intentions, madarsas continue to proliferate
in a haphazard uncontrolled manner. The above developments have serious
long-term implications for national security, electoral patterns, pressures
and compulsions, particularly since these concentrations are in strategically
significant areas."
Imagine the BJP government enacting
a measure against these factories of terror. Like Musharraf has done, for
regulating them; for registering them; for making them submit their accounts;
for devising a secular curricula for them. Hell will break loose. 'Secularism
in danger'. `Pogram against the minorities'. The secular megaphones, the
political parties, leaders, the English media will go all out to protect
these mills of terror. Even if the Parliament passes a law, the 'secular'
President of India will not give his assent. The law passed by the UP legislature
asking for the registration of madarsas in border areas was sent to the
President who withheld his consent and the law has now lapsed. A secular
act indeed by the President!
Lamenting the freedom for these
factories of terror in India, the report says, " Interestingly, while regulation
of madarsas in India continues to be perfunctory, concrete steps have been
taken in neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Nepal. Regulation of
these institutions, though controversial is urgently required."
The story ends. But the madarsa
inspired Jehad continues. It will continue as long as the madarsa is free
to spread the message of terror, unimpeded and unregulated.
