India's Supreme Court Cancels Prohibition Of Islamic Schools In Uttar Pradesh

JAKARTA - India's Supreme Court overturned a ruling banning Islamic schools in the country's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh. This ruling certainly provides concessions for thousands of students and teachers.

The High Court of Allahabad in March overturned a 2004 law governing schools, called madrasas, on the grounds that the law violated the constitutional principles of secularism. The court at that time ordered all students to be transferred to conventional schools.

By ruling out a March ruling, the Supreme Court allowed 25,000 Muslim schools to operate in the northern state, providing relief to 2.7 million students and 10,000 teachers.

"This action is consistent with the country's positive obligations to ensure children get adequate education," Chief Judge DY said Chandrachud in court.

There has been no immediate comment from the state government in response.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has also turned hundreds of madrasas into conventional schools in the northeastern state of Assam.

Muslim groups and human rights accuse some members of BJP and their affiliates of promoting hate speech and anti-Islamic self-defense, and destroying property belonging to Muslims.

Modi and BJP denied any religious discrimination in India saying they were trying to develop all communities.