
Special Investigation: Illegal madrasas along India-Nepal border exposed
The investigation found these madrasas to be potential centres for radicalisation. In one instance, a teacher, Maulvi Faisal, admitted to using content from controversial preacher Zakir Naik, stating, "Videos of Dr Zakir Naik were shown to the children... so that they are prepared to understand their Muslim identity." The probe also revealed a willingness among madrasa operators to accept hawala money and introduce teachings about Jihad. The report exposes how some of these institutions, some without signboards, operate in remote areas, indoctrinating young, impressionable minds.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
Terror Accused To MP To Acquittal: Behind The Fall And Rise Of Pragya Thakur
"Blessing in disguise" and "opportunity in adversity" are phrases that have proven true for Pragya Singh, the saffron-clad woman from Madhya Pradesh, whom her followers address as a sadhvi. In 2008, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) labelled her a "terrorist," but that very tag paved her way to a seat in the Lok Sabha. She was elected Member of Parliament (MP) from Bhopal on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket. On September 29, 2008, a powerful blast tore through Malegaon, a town in northern Maharashtra. Initially, the ATS suspected the involvement of banned Muslim extremist organisations like the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), as prior blast cases across India had revealed the role of Pakistani and homegrown terror groups. However, the ATS, led by the late IPS officer Hemant Karkare, shocked the nation with its findings. They revealed that the Malegaon blast was an act of "saffron terror," with all perpetrators being Hindus. This was unsettling, as it was one of the first cases in recent decades, at least of this magnitude, where Hindus were accused of such a terrorist act. The ATS investigation traced the blast to a motorcycle, which led them to Pragya Singh. The bomb was allegedly planted on the bike, which belonged to her. Pragya Singh, the daughter of an ayurvedic practitioner and a motorcycle enthusiast, is from Bhind in Madhya Pradesh. During her student days, she was associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). In later years, she joined several other RSS-affiliated women's organisations. The ATS arrested her, and after interrogating her and other accused, concluded that she was the mastermind of the Malegaon blast, which claimed six lives and left hundreds injured. Pragya Singh alleged she was tortured in ATS custody and made specific accusations of ill-treatment against then-ATS chief Hemant Karkare and Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Parambir Singh. She detailed the alleged atrocities in an affidavit filed before the court. Her bitterness toward the ATS was evident in her reaction to the news of Hemant Karkare's death at the hands of Pakistani terrorists on November 26, 2008. She said his death was the result of her curse. The Human Rights Commission conducted an inquiry, but the allegations of torture could not be substantiated. Pragya Singh's arrest occurred when the Congress-NCP alliance ruled Maharashtra, and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA-1) was in power at the centre. The BJP and other allied organisations rallied in her support, alleging that the "saffron terror" narrative was fabricated to appease Muslim voters ahead of the 2009 Maharashtra assembly election. Adding to the sympathy for Pragya Singh was the news of her cancer diagnosis during her incarceration. She caused a stir by claiming she was cured of the disease by consuming cow urine and panchagavya. While the investigating agency portrayed her as the prime conspirator in the Malegaon blast, many rightwing organisations publicised her as a symbol of alleged atrocities against Hindus during the Congress-NCP regime. Capitalizing on this image, the BJP offered her a ticket for the Bhopal Lok Sabha seat in 2019. She won by a margin of 364,822 votes, defeating Congress leader Digvijay Singh. However, the BJP did not field her as a candidate in 2024, choosing Alok Sharma instead. A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court acquitted Pragya Singh and dismissed the prosecution's case. The prosecution failed to prove that the explosives were planted on the motorcycle or that the motorcycle belonged to her. Key figures in the government appeared satisfied with the prosecution's defeat in the legal battle. The government's response suggested it will not challenge the order in a higher court. However, the families of the Malegaon victims have announced their intent to contest the order in the high court.


News18
3 hours ago
- News18
NCERT Books May Not Be Accurate, But Muslim Rule In India Was Oppressive
The barbarity of Muslim rulers is well-documented, mostly by Muslim writers Revision of a Class VIII social science textbook by the National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) has once again brought the issue of the saffronisation of the education system, especially of historiography, to the fore. While the new NCERT outlook may be coloured with the ideological tilt of the ruling coalition, its opponents are not exactly impartial in their criticism. The book, Exploring Society: Indian and Beyond, informs students about the Sultanate and Mughal periods. It describes Babur as a 'brutal and ruthless conqueror, slaughtering entire populations of cities". Akbar, termed as a 'blend of brutality and tolerance", fares a shade better. Aurangzeb, too, has been depicted as the destroyer of temples and gurdwaras. But if the new NCERT books are inaccurate, Left-leaning historians and intellectuals are also presenting facts and arguments that are at variance with reality. For instance, the most visible public historian, Dr Ruchika Sharma, has claimed that the jizya tax was not used to spread Islam. But Firuz Shah Tughlaq, who ruled during 1351-88, wrote in his autobiography, 'I encouraged my infidel subjects to embrace the religion of the Prophet, and I proclaimed that everyone who repeated the creed and became a Musalman should be exempt from the jizya or poll-tax. Information of this came to the ears of the people at large, and great numbers of Hindus presented themselves, and were admitted to the honour of Islam. Thus they came forward day by day from every quarter, and adopting the Faith, were exonerated from the jizya, and were favoured with presents and honours." It was not just that the jizya was discriminatory; how it was collected was also humiliating. The taxpayer was ordered to offer the money, keeping his palm up; the collector snatched it rudely to show that the payer was at the mercy of the rulers. Sharma and others also try to normalise various barbaric Muslim invasions and the ensuing oppressive Muslim rule with the such-things-happened-in-those-times line. The underlying message is that the actions of medieval Muslim rulers should not be regarded as exceptionally brutal. Really? The famous American historian Will Durant wrote, 'The Islamic conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history. It is a discouraging tale, for its evident moral is that civilisation is a precious good, whose delicate complex of order and freedom, culture and peace, can at any moment be overthrown by barbarians invading from without or multiplying within." The barbarity of Muslim rulers is well-documented, mostly by Muslim writers. Consider Taimur (1336-1405), Central Asia's jihadist conqueror. I reproduce the sack of Delhi (December 1398) in his own words; one lakh Hindus were slaughtered in the massacre. The following passage is from his memoirs, Malfuzat-i-Timuri, quoted from HM Elliot and J Dowson, The History of India as Told by its Own Historians. 'On the 16th of the month… when the soldiers proceeded to apprehend the Hindus and gabrs (Parsis) who had fled to the city, many of them drew their swords and offered resistance. The flames of strife were thus lighted and spread through the whole city from Jahánpanáh and Sírí to Old Dehlí, burning up all it reached. The savage Turks fell to killing and plundering. The Hindus set fire to their houses with their own hands, burned their wives and children in them, and rushed into the fight and were killed. The Hindus and gabrs of the city showed much alacrity and boldness in fighting… On that day, Thursday, and all the night of Friday, nearly 15,000 Turks were engaged in slaying, plundering, and destroying. When morning broke on Friday, all my army, no longer under control, went off to the city and thought of nothing but killing, plundering, and making prisoners. All that day, the sack was general. (…) Excepting the quarter of the saiyids, the 'ulamá, and the other Musulmáns, the whole city was sacked… It was the will of God that this calamity should fall upon the city." Then there was Amir Khusru (1253-1325), or Amīr Khusrow. A Sufi musician, poet, and scholar, he is lionised as a symbol of composite culture, which is the desi term for multiculturalism. But he also celebrated jihad. As the historian Sita Ram Goel wrote, 'Amir Khusru describes with great glee how the heads of Brahmins danced from their necks and fell to the ground at their feet, along with those of the other 'infidels' whom Malik Kafur had slaughtered during the sack of the temples at Chidambaram." Goel has quoted passages from Khusru, like, 'When the royal army (of Alau'din Khalji) reached that province (Gujarat), it won a victory after great slaughter… The army of Islam broke the idols (at Somnath) and the biggest idol was sent to the court of the Sultan." This is Khusru—the icon of interreligious faith! Just because some votaries of Hindutva show excessive enthusiasm and prejudice in rewriting history doesn't mean that Muslim rule was humane. The author is a freelance journalist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.


India.com
3 hours ago
- India.com
France, Britain and Australia are no longer Christian-majority countries, Muslim population has increased by..., number of Islamic countries has...
Representational Image Christian population: A major demographic shift is underway across the world due to a multitude of factors such as wars, illegal immigration, religious conversion and refugee crisis due to various conflicts. According to a new survey by the Pew Research Center, the number of Christian-majority countries has declined in the last 10 years, and Christians are no longer the majority population in major western nations including, Britain, France, and Australia. How many Christian-majority countries are there? As per the Pew Research survey, the number of Christian-majority nations has decreased by four from 2010-2020, even as the number of countries with a Christian majority population still remains the highest. The survey reveals that Christians are a majority in 120 of the 201, or about 60% of the total countries and territories on the planet, in 2020. The number was 124 in 2010, the report said. Why Christianity is declining? The primary reason for the decline in Christian-majority nations is number of people leaving the Christian faith in recent years, according to the survey, adding that a large portion of those who leave Christianity do not profess any other faith, or identify as atheists. The survey notes that the most most significant change has been witnessed in countries like Britain, Australia, France and Uruguay, where the Christians are no longer a majority as their numbers dropped below 50% in the past decade, while the numbers of atheists or those who do not identify with any religion surged. Notably, Uruguay is the only non-Christian majority country in the Americas as 52 percent of its population does not identify with any religion, while the Christian population has declined to 44 percent. The number of countries where majority of population do not identify with any religion has surged to 10 in 2020, while the number was seven in 2010. France, Britain and Australia do not have any majority religious group, however, the number of people who identify as non-religious is close to or greater than the number of Christians, the report revealed. What about Muslim countries? As per the Pew Research Center survey, there has been no change in the status of the 53 Muslim majority countries as their number remains the same it was a decade ago. There are only two Hindu countries in the world, India and Nepal, with the former being home to about 95 percent of the global Hindu population, which accounts for about 15 percent of global population. Hindus form the largest religious group in Mauritius, but are not the majority in that country. There are a total of seven Buddhist-dominated countries, while Israel remains the sole Jewish nation in the world, the report revealed.