SIT calls for action against madrasas failing to disclose donors

LUCKNOW: The special investigation team (SIT) has submitted its recommendations to the state government, calling for prompt action against Madrasas that receive foreign aid but fail to disclose the sources of funds and donors.
After an intricate network of around 8,000 unregistered madrasas in the state was uncovered during a probe by the state government, a three-member SIT was formed in October 2023. Chaired by ADG, ATS, Mohit Agarwal, the team includes SP cybercrime, Dr. Triveni Singh, and the director of minority welfare, J. Reebha. They are tasked with investigating the misuse of foreign donations received by madrasas in the state.
An official of the UP state madrasa board said that many of these madrasas were strategically located along the Nepal border. “They have been receiving funds from Gulf countries for the past two decades,” he said. The report highlights concentrations in districts bordering Nepal, such as Maharajganj, Shravasti, Bahraich, and Gonda, each of which has over 300 such madrasas.
“The proximity to the international border raises serious concerns, prompting the SIT’s recommendation for the closure of those madrasas unwilling to reveal their funding sources,” he added.
Another official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the financial opacity of these institutions fuelled suspicions of a covert conspiracy diverting funds for potentially nefarious activities, including terrorism. “Despite the SIT’s efforts to obtain financial records from these madrasas, most have failed to provide transparent financial sheets detailing their income and expenditure, deepening concerns about the authenticity of their operations,” he said.
J. Reebha, director of minority welfare, said, “We have only sent some recommendations to the state government and still have to submit the final report. We cannot share details, but there have been many madrasas which claim to have been constructed through donations, yet they struggle to disclose the names of contributors.”
Approximately 80 madrasas in border regions had received foreign funding totalling around ₹100 crores. Concerns over the potential misuse of funds and questions about the authenticity of the sources supporting these religious institutions prompted action.
The SIT’s mandate includes issuing notices to all madrasas, seeking information about transactions in foreign exchange earning accounts (EEFC). Those madrasas receiving funds from abroad have been listed, and further investigations are ongoing to determine the countries from which the money has been sent and the activities in which it has been spent.
Dr. Iftikhar Ahmed Javed, chairman of the UP state madrasa education board, said, “Not all madrasas are anti-national. The investigation aims to cleanse the system and promote those institutions fostering national feelings and patriotism among students.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Ashutosh Varma, the spokesperson for the Samajwadi Party, criticised the government’s approach, labelling it as harassment toward minority education institutes. He pointed out the delay in recognising the unregistered madrasas, questioning the government’s intentions behind constituting the SIT to probe their foreign funding instead of assisting them in gaining recognition.