UP: Day starts at this Sambhal madrassa with Gayatri Mantra, Kalma

BAREILLY: Amid recurring row over recitation of Vande Mataram in madrassas, this is the one in Sambhal where students start their day with both Gayatri Mantra and Kalma . More than 170 students of Madrassa Maulana Mohd Ali Jauhar Public School in Sambhal’s Maubhur village also shout slogans like ‘Vande Mataram’, ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, ‘Hindustan Zindabad’, ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ and ‘Desk K Amar Shaheedo Ki Jai’ everyday.

They have been doing this since the madrassa started functioing in 2012-13.


Manager of madrassa, Firoz Khan, said: “We teach both Kalma and Gayatri Mantra to students as we want them to have knowledge of all religions and maintain harmony in the country. People who oppose chanting of Vande Matram on religious grounds have no knowledge of Islam. When we started our madrassa, a few people had raised objection. However, we have support of families of students.” Mohammed Afad Khan, a student of class V, who daily leads Gayatri Mantra during morning prayer here said, “For me, both ‘Kalma’ and Gayatri Mantra are same.”

Situated 10 kilometres away from Sambhal city, this madrassa is known for many different activities. Though this unaided madrassa up to class VIII with eight teachers is registered with UP Board of Madrassa Education, the management said they follow pattern of a school. The madrassa offers free education to poor, gives free books to orphans and charges Rs 100 per month as fee from those who can afford it. It is one of a few madrassas in UP to teach Sanskrit to students. It focuses on modern education, including English, mathematics, science and computer science, but teachers here teach religious subjects, including Quran and other books, in both Arabic/Urdu and English.

Azra Khan, a class VIII student, said, “My father is a poor farmer and my three siblings and I study here for free. Due to good education, I can recite Kalma in both English and Hindi. My parents have no problem with me learning prayers of other religion and they are happy with my level of learning.”

This madrassa also observes martyrs’ day on March 23 in memory of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev and organises “Phoolon Ki Holi” and “Holi milan” events. Firoz Khan said, “Our madrassa has also been running campaign to declare cow a national mother and cow safety campaign.”