Assam Assembly passes bill to abolish all government-run Madrassas in state

The opposition Congress and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) walked out from the state assembly by opposing the bill.

According to the Assam government, the new act will come into effect from April 1, 2021.

The bill was tabled in the assembly by the state government on Dec 28.

Assam Education Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said that in spite of walkout by the Congress and AIUDF, the Assam assembly has passed a bill whereby no Madrassa institute will be provincialised in future and whatever Madrassa institutes have already provincialised means already under the rule of the government will be converted to a normal educational institute and with effect from April 1, 2021.

“All these government-run Madrassas will be converted into a general educational institute and they will not be under Madrassa Board. They will under our normal state board,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The Assam Education Minister also said that the Assam government is preparing a bill for private Madrassas also.

“We have already in a process of drafting a bill whereby Qawmi Madrassas will have to be registered with the state government and they will be given registration if and only if they continue to teach science, mathematics etc along with their Qawmi education,” Sarma said.

On the other hand, AIUDF MLA Rafiqul Islam said that today is a black day for the state and his party will give legal support to those who will move to the court.

“We had requested the assembly to send the bill to the select committee and hold it, but they didn’t hear our voice. The students, Madrassa association will move to the court and we will give them legal support,” Rafiqul Islam said.