Indian Home Minister - Shivraj Patil "The Great"

Intelligence chokes over clean chit to madarsas

New Delhi-3/8/06: For Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, madarsas are seats of learning and scholarly pursuit. In a speech at the Ahle-Hadeeth complex in Jamia Nagar on July 24, he merrily gave a clean chit to madarsas saying, "We believe that Islamic madarsas are seats of social service. They are not the centres of terrorism”. But the Minister's words delivered in the aftermath of the serial bomb blasts on Mumbai trains were in sharp contrast to the information of his own security agencies. Intelligence agencies have irrefutable evidence to suggest that a majority of these madarsas are not only breeding grounds of terror but are also in league with anti-India forces to bleed it through a 100 cuts. There are over 350 madarsas within 10 km of the Indo-Nepal border in the Indian side. In central and eastern Uttar Pradesh more madarsas have come up than in the western part. Agencies mention border districts of Siddharth Nagar, Maharajgnaj, Bahraich, Shrawasti, Balrampur and Lakhimpur Kheeri in this connection. In the 10km belt of the bordering districts of Bihar such as West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Saupal, Araria and Kishanganj over 180 madarsas have come up after 1993. What has rung alarm bells in security set ups is the setting up of madarsas on the Nepal border. Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan and terrorist outfits have been funnelling funds and recruiting jihadis from these schools of subversion, intelligence sources said.

Getting back to the Home Minister. In the same speech he had said,madarsas, where knowledge of humanism is being imparted and where human values are taught, could only be termed as "servants of humanity." Intelligence agencies are not too sure about the syllabi, but they say that the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), accused of masterminding the 11/7 serial blasts, has a sizeable following in these madarsas. Many are financed by petro-dollars and share a close association with ISI agents while their premises are used as hideouts for Kashmiri militants, ISI agents, gunrunners and criminals. They also serve as transit camps for terrorists.