Lucknow: Madrasas run by the Barelvi sect on Tuesday openly defied the Uttar Pradesh government’s order that made singing the national anthem mandatory in all Islamic institutions. While students at the Manzar-e-Islam, the biggest Barelvi madrasa in Bareilly, hoisted the Tricolour in the presence of teachers, they did not sing the national anthem.
Instead, around 500 students gathered at the open prayer hall to sing ‘Sare jahan se achha’, a patriotic song in Urdu written by poet Mohammad Iqbal.
The madrasa authorities also refrained from video-graphing the occasion, as directed by the UP government. “Traditionally, we do not sing the national anthem on occasions like Independence Day or Republic Day We only followed the convention this time,” a senior cleric said on the condition of anonymity.
Media persons were not allowed to cover the main event, which lasted for over an hour. It is may be noted the decision to oppose the government order was taken by senior cleric Maulana Asjad Miyan, a direct descendant of 20th century Islamic religious leader Ahmed Raza Barelvi.
The Barelvi clerics justified their decision to refrain from singing the national anthem at the madrasas under their jurisdiction, claiming that it was written in praise of George V, the then king of England.
