Madrasa students march with Quran, Tricolour to counter ‘anti-national’ tag in Nuh

Hundreds of madrasa students marched through Nuh on Wednesday carrying the Quran in one hand and the national Tricolour in the other, seeking to counter the perception that madrasas are “anti-national”.

The march, titled “Ek Haath Mein Quran, Ek Haath Mein Tiranga”, was organised by the Pasmanda Vikas Foundation from Yasin Mewat Degree College to Gandhi Park. According to the organisers, around 200 children, 150 Muslim women and nearly 100 religious leaders associated with madrasas across the district participated in the event.

Holding the national flag aloft, the children raised slogans centred on patriotism and nation-building as they moved through the town.

The organisers said the initiative was aimed at instilling a sense of patriotism among madrasa students while challenging the suspicion with which such institutions are sometimes viewed.

Office-bearers of the Pasmanda Vikas Foundation said the organisation was working to modernise madrasa education and enable students to pursue careers as doctors, engineers and scientists and contribute to the country’s development.

They said a child who follows the Quran can carry just as much love for the Tricolour as any other citizen.

The organisers said the march sought to convey that madrasa students wanted an equal opportunity to participate in India’s growth story and should not be viewed with suspicion because of the institutions in which they studied. They appealed to the government and society to provide proper guidance and opportunities to madrasa students so that they could contribute fully to national development.