Uttar Pradesh makes singing national anthem compulsory at all madrassas

LUCKNOW: Singing of the national anthem "Jana Gana Mana" has been made compulsory at all madrassas in Uttar Pradesh from Thursday, an official said here. The Registrar of the Uttar Pradesh Madrassa Education Board, SN Pandey, also issued an order to this effect to all the District Minority Welfare Officers on May 9.

According to the decision taken in the board meeting on March 24, the singing of the national anthem at the time of prayer at all madrassas across the state has been made mandatory, he said. He said regular classes at the madrassas began on May 12 after the Ramzan holidays, and the order came into effect on the same day.

The order said that before the commencement of classes, the national anthem will be sung by teachers and students from the upcoming academic session in all recognised, aided and non-aided madrassas in the state. The District Minority Welfare Officers have been tasked to ensure compliance with the order.

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General Secretary of Teachers' Association Madaris Arabia, Diwan Sahab Zaman Khan, said that till now at madrassas, usually Hamd (praises to Allah) and Salam (salutations to Muhammad) were recited before the start of classes. The national anthem was also sung in some, but it was not compulsory. "Now it has been made mandatory," he added.

The order comes after the state's Minority Welfare Minister Dharampal Singh last month emphasised on teaching nationalism at madrassas. Minister of State Danish Azad Ansari had also said that the government wants the madrassa students to be "full of patriotism". At present, there are a total of 16,461 madrassas in Uttar Pradesh and 560 of them receive government grants.

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