Maulvi refuses to sing national anthem during I-Day celebrations

Yesterday, the entire country was enthusiastically celebrating the 72nd Independence Day. National flags were hoisted in schools, institutions, buildings across the country including the red-fort. People while remembering those who sacrificed their lives for the country sang the national anthem with pride and respect all over the country. However, there are some people in the country who do not value the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters and take independence for granted. A video has surfaced on social media where one can see a Maulvi (Muslim cleric) refusing to sing the national anthem while the flag was being hoisted at a Madarsa. In the video, a person (probably teacher) is arguing with the Maulvis. The person wants singing of national anthem to take place but the Maulvis are adamant upon not singing the national anthem and in return say that “Humare yaha ye sab nahi hota”. When the person asks madrasa students to sing rashtragaan (National Anthem), the Maulvi in return issued warning directing children to not to sing the national anthem. In the video, Maulvi also asks rhetorically if they are Muslims at all. It seems that according to the Maulvi a true Muslim should not sing the national anthem because it is against the tenets of Islam.

The incident happened at a Madarsa called Arbiya Ahle Girls Malangdihawa Badgo in Maharajganj area of Uttar Pradesh. According to reports, the local police had already arrested the Maulvi Junaid Ansari. His three other accomplices were also arrested and thrown behind the bars.

This is not an isolate incident. In the past also Madrasa teaches had refused to sing national anthem. In Bareilly, last year students at the Manzar-e-Islam- the biggest Barelvi madrasa in the city- hoisted the national flag but didn’t sing the national anthem.

In 2016, a school in Allahabad had barred students from singing the Indian anthem, Vande Mataram or Saraswati Vandana during Independence Day celebrations because they are “un-Islamic”. Manager of the school, Mohammad Zia-ul Haq said, “The national anthem has a line, ‘Bharat bhagya vidhata’, which is against Islam as Allah is our bhagya vidhata. How can we say Bharat has made our destiny?” He also said, “In the national anthem, the country has been described as being bigger and more important than mazhab (religion) and khuda (god), which is unacceptable for any true Muslim.”

In 2015 in Mumbai a Muslim family did not stand for the national anthem.

First, they said they have a problem with chanting Bharat Mata Ki Jai; then they said they have a problem with singing Vande Mataram and now they have a problem with the anthem and it would be no surprise if tomorrow they will start having a problem with the national flag also. Someone has rightly said that in India intolerance is increasing. Islamic fundamentalists are drilling the venom in the minds of innocent kids. These fundamentalists are imposing their narrow thinking upon the innocent school children. At an age when these kids need to be taught the importance and value of nation and national anthem, they are being taught to disrespect it.