Guwahati (Assam): Amid multiple arrests of individuals in Assam on alleged links with terrorist groups Al-Qaeda Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), the Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta on Sunday met various Islamic organizations across the state and sought their support and cooperation in busting such terror modules. The DGP said all institutions in the state have been told to strictly abide by rules set by their parent bodies and local authorities.
"Today, we met with the Islamic organizations across the state. Without their cooperation, we couldn't bust Al-Qaeda and ABT modules in the state. We urged them to extend their support, and cooperation and they also assured us of their support," Mahanta told the media. There were reports that some militants disguised as religious teachers had sneaked into the state and silently gone ahead with their subversive and anti-state activities.
Four main organisations or sects running most of the madrasas in the state have been told to conduct a survey of such religious learning institutions within six months, he stated. Over 3,000 registered and unregistered madrasas are currently operational in this northeastern state, official sources said. These institutions have come under scanner following the arrest of the teachers, over the past few months, for their suspected links with terror outfits. Three madrasas have been demolished in Assam in the last one month.
Addressing a press conference, after a meeting with Islamic community leaders, Mahanta said, "Radical elements of outfits such as al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent (AQIS) and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) want to establish their philosophy here. And it is a matter of concern in the current geo-political scene." "Fundamentalist forces are trying to influence Muslims in the state, but the community by and large have cooperated, with only a miniscule percentage falling prey to the radical doctrines," he maintained.
Representatives of All Assam Tanzim Madrassa, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jammat, All Assam Islamic Research Center and Nadwatut Tamir were present at the meeting, besides a few MLAs of the community. "Organisations that run the madrasas already have a set of guidelines, and we have proposed another few additional rules. They have been receptive of our suggestions. "But rolling out the guidelines is not enough, these have to be implemented. We have asked the organisations to ensure their implementation," he pointed out.
Mahanta said a committee comprising representatives of all the four groups have been formed to carry out a survey of these institutes and propose ways to ensure that all guidelines are followed. "We have also urged them to incorporate general subjects along with the religious teachings in the madrasas for more benefit of the students," the DGP underlined. The top officer said the government would be launching a portal soon in which all madrassas got to upload relevant details, like location, teachers' names and address, and salary being paid.
As many as 36 people with alleged association with terror outfits have been arrested in the state over the last few months, he added. Leaders of the Islamic community, talking to reporters later, welcomed the initiative by the Assam Police and said a "new atmosphere" has been created. They said that the meeting was a "first step towards uprooting anti-national elements". Police verification of any person from outside the state or district will be ensured if he is engaged in any madrassa. Vigil will be maintained on activities of youth who go outside the state for education or work, one of the community leaders, who attended the meeting, added.
Earlier, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that some madrassa managements were not running the institution but were running a "terrorist hub". "I don't want to generalise, but we investigate and take appropriate action when a complaint of fundamentalism comes," Sarma had said. At a recent press conference, Sarma said that six Bangladeshi nationals who are members of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) / Al-Qaeda Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), entered Assam in 2016-17.
The state police had managed to arrest one among them and five were still absconding. For better surveillance, Assam Chief Minister reiterated that Islamic teachers coming into the state will be closely monitored and moreover the state was developing a portal where their details will be captured. "We have laid down standard operating procedures. Locals must inform police if any religious teacher (Imam) coming outside of the state and are not known to them," Sarma told reporters.
"Police will verify the person and then he can carry out his religious teaching in the Madrassas," he said, adding that Muslims of Assam have been cooperating with the government in this process. Assam currently doesn't have any government-run madrassas as they have recently been converted into regular schools. However, individual or privately-run madrassas continue to exist. (With agency Inputs)
