The BJP-led Assam government recently renamed 1,281 state-run madrasas as Middle English (ME) schools.
Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu said the decision was taken to foster uniformity and inclusion in the state’s education system.
He later took to X, formerly Twitter, and wrote, “Consequent to the conversion of all Govt and Provincialised Madrasa’s into general schools under SEBA, @SchoolEdnAssam has changed the names of 1281 ME Madrasas into ME School by a notification today.”
Consequent to conversion of all Govt and Provincialised Madrasa’s into general schools under SEBA, @SchoolEdnAssam has changed the names of 1281 ME Madrasas into ME School by a notification today. Here is the link for the list of schools. @himantabiswa @Samagra_Assam…
— Ranoj Pegu (@ranojpeguassam) December 13, 2023
The name change notification was issued Wednesday by Elementary Education Director Suranjana Senapati.
The renamed madrassas are spread across Bajali, Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Cachar, Darrang, Dhubri, Goalpara, Hailakandi, Hojai, Kamrup-Metro, Kamrup-Rural, Karimganj, Lakhimpur, Morigaon, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sibsagar, Sonitpur, and South Salmara-Mankachar districts of the state.
The madrasas operating under the state government have been in the eye of several controversies in the last few years.
Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said his government would shut down all madrasas. He claimed that they are not needed in ‘New India’.
The Assam government also said that it had incurred a cost of Rs 500 crore for running madrasas.
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Sarma’s comment soon got traction in other states in the region. Tripura BJP legislator Shambhulal Chakma said in the Assembly that government-run madrasas should be shut down as “such religious educational institutions produce terrorists and not doctors or engineers”.
Four madrasas in Assam were demolished in August and September last year for their alleged involvement in anti-national and jihadi activities.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
