By Abdul Basith MA, TwoCircles.net,
Mahe [Pondicherry]: A Madrasa functioning for last 6 years has been forced to stay closed after Ramadan vacations at Mahe area in Pondicherry. The Hindu Aikya Vedi and a few other Sangh Parivar organisations were up against the Madrasa accusing it of preaching terror. The Madrasa working under the Sidheeqiya Cultural Centre at Panthakkal, Hazan Mukku region has expressed their anguish over the Mahe administration for succumbing to the Hindutva threat.
The Madrasa imparting free Islamic education to the Muslim students of the region was running smoothly until the end of Ramadan and it was by around the time of reopening after vacation the Hindu Aikya Vedi workers started campaigning against the Madrasa by resorting to violent protests thus creating a turbulent atmosphere in the region preventing the Madrasa from reopening.
Assessing the situation, Mahe administration called a meeting of both the sides on Monday. They requested the Hindu Aikya Vedi leaders to allow Madrasa to function to which they objected and left the meeting in the middle. It was in this situation the Administrator permitted the Madrasa to function from Tuesday onwards, by assuring Police security against any possible threats from the Sangh Parivar.
As per this permission the Madrasa restarted on Tuesday, but Hindu Aikya Vedi workers from the locality gathered near the Madrasa raising slogans. Police arrested Hindutva activists but the Mahe CI soon let them free after discussions, because the Hindu Aikya Vedi activists turned aggressive blocking the road in front of Pallur Police station.
It was since then the Hindu Aikya Vedi activists resorted to further violence and the Mahe administrator called them for a meeting on Tuesday night, whereby he asked them to cooperate in order to ensure peace in the region and assured them of preventing the Madrasa from opening next day onwards. The Administrator then called the Madrasa committee and insisted on keeping the Madrasa closed next day morning.
It has been three weeks since Ramadan and teachers of the Madrasa find it tough to keep in time with the syllabus and time table, because they were not able to get a day’s class for their students until now.
The locals say that, since when it is dusk, the temple premises of the locality seems to convene martial art and weapon training for the kids of the Sangh Parivar families and nobody from the Muslim community of the locality ever approached them to stop these activities. The Hindu community members of the region too haven’t objected to these activities conducted by RSS Shakhas of the region because they too fear the backlash.