Recently, the UP Madrasa Siksha Parishad issued an order in which it made compulsory for the madrasas to hoist Tricolor and sing the national anthem during the Independence Day this year. The order also asked the madrasas to arrange a speech regarding the freedom fight and the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters. The order also made it compulsory to submit a video recording of the events during the Independence Day celebration. This caused a massive controversy (Like Notifications likes this always do).
The Bareilvi madrasas of Bareilly defied the orders from the government. The students of the madrasa hoisted the Indian Flag but did not sing the national anthem “Jana Gana Mana”. Instead, they sang the “Sare Jahan Se Achha”. The authority of the madrasas did not even submit any video recording as ordered in the directive. The students of madrasas of Meerut and Kanpur too, sang “Sare Jahan Se Achha” instead of the national anthem.
The above denial to sing national anthem must have been encouraged by a Bareilly cleric known as Maulana Asjad Raza Khan. He said that singing the national anthem and national song is un-Islamic. He asked the madrasas to defy the order. It was he, who insisted the madrasas to sing “Sare Jahan Se Achha” instead of the national anthem.
Singing the national song has a long history of controversy. There is a lot of controversy regarding the National Song “Vande Mataram”. In 2006, the general secretary of Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind said that a true Muslim must not sing Vande Mataram. This is because Islam forbids the apotheosis of any deity other than Allah. The national song considers the motherland as a deity. Some clerics consider it un-Islamic to sing Vande Mataram.
However, there are other things, which we must consider. The Royal Titles “Alam Panah” and” Jahan Panah” literally mean “Protector of the universe”. The word “Azam Panah” literally means “The Great or Most Mighty of the Universe”. These were the royal titles of the Mughal emperors. All these words relate to the Almighty. Yet the human emperors used these words as titles. If that is acceptable and nobody finds any problem with this, then there is no reason to refuse to sing Vande Mataram.
Not only the national song, some clerics even say that singing the national anthem is also un-Islamic. On 26th March 2015, some local fundamentalists severely attacked a madrasa headmaster Kazi Masum Akhtar for teaching the madrasa students to sing the national anthem. The incident happened in Kolkata.
The above incidents prove that some Madrasas discourage their students to sing national anthem and national song. National anthem and national song are the very identity of a country. If the Madrasas and the clerics discourage the students to acknowledge these identities during their tender age, the kids will grow a severe lack of patriotism in their mindset. Since Muslim kids go to more madrasas than schools, the teachings of the madrasas make a great impact on their mindset. The government must ensure that they receive proper guidance in these madrasas. If the kids of the second largest community are discouraged to sing national anthem, then the government must take action against the responsible authorities.
The same Indian Constitution, which grants Freedom of Speech to a citizen of India, says that respecting the national anthem is a fundamental duty of that citizen. Singing the national anthem is the fundamental duty of every citizen. If the madrasas are stopping its students from singing the national anthem, then they are interfering with the fundamental duty of a person living in India. This is a serious offense. Moreover, the convener of Sunni Ulema Council, Haji Mohd Sheikh said that the government order was to test patriotism, which he thinks, is wrong. Even an anonymous senior cleric told the Hindustan Times that traditionally, they do not sing national song on Independence Day and Republic Day. That means, avoiding the national anthem has been a tradition. Traditions take place for long period. It is time to break that tradition. Government must look in this direction.
PV Jagamohan, the divisional commissioner of Bareilly has made it clear that the madrasas, which defied the orders to sing national anthem will face action under the National Security Act.
“We have asked complainants to produce evidence. An inquiry has also been initiated and if complaints are found true, NSA would be invoked against Madrasa management committees for causing disrespect to the national anthem,” he warned. Relevant sections of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, may also be invoked against the erring madrasas, he said.
The madrasas will face interrogation regarding their refusal to play national anthem. After all, the madrasas, which are standing upon the soil of this nation, are not above the national integrity. If the government does not check this attitude of these madrasas, it may later lead to a threat to national integrity.