Include skill development courses in madrassas: DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta

 A CORRESPONDENT

GOALPARA: Assam's Director General of Police (DGP) Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta on Friday urged the Muslims of the state to include skill development courses in their madrassas. Mahanta made this point while addressing a meeting arranged at the Goalpara Police Station campus to physically and digitally inaugurate several newly-constructed police station buildings in west Assam districts under the Moitri scheme.

"There is no denying the fact that there should be hafiz and moulanas in the society, but more than hafiz, moulanas we need doctors, engineers, teachers, police etc., and that's the way a good and balanced society will form", opined the DGP.

He added, "We request to include computer skills, training for plumbers, carpenters, electricians etc., besides the Arabic language, which will be fruitful and generate income".

Referring to the scarcity of the plumbers and carpenters in the state, the DGP cited a recent example: "The L&T company approached us for 400 plumbers and 200 carpenters for a local project recently, but they had to hire them from the states like Bihar as we don't have such numbers of skilled technicians".

He pointed out that a skilled plumber or carpenter with knowledge of the Arabic language may earn up to Rs 2 lakh per month in places like Dubai.

Mahanta said that the state government has initiated steps for reforming the Madrassas in the state, which have received nationwide laurels.

"We could not let some madrassas function without land documents, without any background etc. However, we have not given any order or instruction to the Muslim society. Rather, we invited four major Islamic organizations running madrassas in the state - Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, Nadwatu Tamir, Aahle Hadish and Aahle Sunnat - for talks at the police headquarters and they have agreed to adopt a smooth system to run these institutions", the DGP said.

He informed that 66 madrassas with less than 50 students have been either merged with the neighbouring bigger madrassas or they have closed down. However, the DGP also warned the Muslim society about the miscreants in the guise of hafiz and moulanas who appear from nowhere and overnight establish a madrassa with the wrong intention of radicalization.

"Such men arrive at a remote place, establish an institution, marry a girl and through a local agent carries out anti-national activities and disappears. This had become a trend", said the DGP.

Mahanta informed that the Assam Police has busted nine modules and arrested 52 persons of Ansarul Bangla Team and Al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent who had adopted similar tactics of setting networks through madrassas.

"Assam Police welcomes peaceful environment and brotherhood among different castes and creed, but won't tolerate any divisive forces whether he be a Muslim or a Hindu", warned the DGP.

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