In a significant development, the Assam cabinet on Sunday (December 13) approved a proposal to close down all government-run madrasas and Sanskrit tols (schools) in the state.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said that a bill in this regard will be tabled by BJP-led government in the state during the upcoming winter session of the state Assembly.
"Existing laws related to madrasas and Sanskrit tols will be repealed. A bill will be introduced in the next session of the Assembly," Patowary, who is also the spokesperson of the Assam government, said.
The winter session of the Assam Legislative Assembly is scheduled to start from December 28.
According to Patowary, the decision to close all the state-run madrasas and Sanskrit tols was taken during the cabinet meeting which was chaired by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
In October, Assam Education and Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had announced that the state government has decided to shut down all state-run madrasas and Sanskrit tols (schools) as it is not possible for Assam government to use public funds to teach religious scriptures.
"Our government's policy we had announced earlier in the state Assembly. There should be no religious education with government's funding. We have nothing to say about privately-run madrasas and Sanskrit tols," Sarma had said.
Sarma said that after the closing down of the madrasas, 48 contractual teachers would be shifted to schools under the Education Department.
Meanwhile, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief and MP Badruddin Ajmal has slammed the state government's decision, saying that if the state government decides to close down government-run madrasas, his party would take steps to re-open these educational educations after coming to power in 2021 Assembly poll.
