In Kashmir, authorities have sealed a school named Jamia Sirajul Uloom in Shopian district, declaring it ‘illegal’ under the anti-terrorism law ‘Unlawful Activities Prevention Act’.
A notification issued by the office of Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Anshul Garg said that after sealing the school, entry of staff members or students was banned. The order warned people that strict legal action will be taken against those who violate the orders in the event of gathering inside or around the school.
Nasirul Islam, a prominent lawyer from Shopian, who graduated from the same school, says that ‘more than 800 children were studying in this school and 70 teachers and non-teaching staff are directly employed with the school. The school used to teach the regular government curriculum, and it has been approved by the state board for decades.
On the other hand, local police sources allege that the school administration has links with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami organization many years ago. A police officer said that “the activities of educational institutions are being closely monitored, because subversive elements try to incite extremist sentiments among children.”
Advocate Nasirul Islam says that Pir Gul Muhammad, a person from Shopian, had donated his land decades ago and bequeathed that such an institution should be built on it where the new generation would be taught modern sciences and their character would also be built, and then an institution called Jamia Sirajul Uloom was established at the same place.
Nasir says that the school’s performance is renowned throughout Kashmir, because not only are the results 100 percent, but the children here also achieve distinguished positions in the board.
It is worth noting that after the Jamaat-e-Islami was banned in Kashmir seven years ago, hundreds of schools that were run by the Jamaat’s subsidiary, the Public Welfare Trust, were either closed or merged with government schools. According to the school administration, Sirajul Uloom was not directly affiliated with the Jamaat.
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