150 Barelvi sect madrassas to flout UP govt I-Day order

Around 150 madrassas connected with the Barelvi sect today decided not to follow the Uttar Pradesh government's order of reciting the national anthem and videography of the Independence Day function.
A meeting of the sect held in the revered Dargah Ala Hazrat in Bareilly decided that neither will the national anthem be sung nor the function be videograhed in 150 madrassas of the state, Maulana Shahabuddin Rizvi, general secretary of Jamat Raza-e-Mustafa which chaired the meeting, said.
In Pilibhit, 'shahar qazi' Zartab Raza Khan also opposed the order, terming it as against the shariat which does not allow musical instruments.

"The function of Independence Day will be celebrated with full gusto, tricolour will be unfurled in the madrassas, sweets will be distributed and tributes will be paid to those who fought for the freedom of the country, but no action will be performed which goes against the shariat like singing of the national anthem and videography," Rizvi stressed.
"It was decided in the meeting that instead of 'Jana Gana Mana' the Quami Tarana of 'Sare Jahan Se Achcha Hindustan Hamara' will be recited. Also, videographay is against the shariat and it will not be done," he said, adding programmes which are in accordance only with the shariat will be performed.

Rizvi also said that the word 'adhinayak' in the national anthem was in praise of the British used in 1911 and therefore, singing it was against the shariat.

He questioned as to why the circular with regard to singing of the national anthem and videography was issued only for the madarasa and not to schools under the basic shiksha parishad.
"Basic education secretary Sanjay Sinha has himself stated that no videography will be done in the schools under the parishad ... Does imposing this condition only on the madarsas not question their patriotism," he asked.
According to the government circular, flag hoisting and recitation of the national anthem will take place at 8 am on the Independence Day. Following this, tributes will be paid to martyrs of the freedom struggle.

MoS Minority Welfare Baldev Aulakh had warned action against madrassas if they did not follow the order.