Worried over reports that Bangladeshi nationals were teaching students of a madrasa in Burdwan, the Centre is contemplating conducting a survey in some states with international border to check whether there were foreign nationals deployed in seminaries.

The move came after investigations revealed that almost all teachers at the madrasa in West Bengal's Burdwan district, where an explosion killed two persons on October 2, were Bangladeshi nationals. The madrasa's teachers, affiliated to banned terror group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), were allegedly involved in indoctrination of young students and attracting them into jihadi ideology. In addition, a secret report, submitted to the Home Ministry by security agencies also suggested that madrasas with Indian teachers were not involved in any jihadi or separatist activities or indoctrination.

The report has red-flagged madrasas which have teachers of Bangladeshi or Pakistani origin, saying there are examples of such madrasas actively radicalising young minds. "We are concerned that there may be many more foreign teachers who are still attached with many madrasas claiming to be Indian citizens with forged identity documents. Hence, the plan for the survey," a Home Ministry official said. Bangladeshi teachers at two Burdwan madrasas were carrying forged documents like voter identity cards.

The survey will initially be conducted in states having international border -- like West Bengal, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar -- and gradually may be extended to other states. There is no official figure about the total number of madrasas in the country. However, unofficial estimates say there are around 35,000 madrasas both big and small with an enrolment of about 15 lakh. Most of these madrasas are unrecognised.

Source: DNA