Daily Excelsior... Editorial

EDITORIAL

Musharraf makes his mind
Men, Matters and Memories

By M L Kotru
General Pervez Musharraf has made up his mind and it is not
for the Pakistanis to decide whether they agree with him or not. Musharraf has not...more

Nau sau mice and Musharraf.......
Yours Randomly,

R. L. Bhat
O, do you think that this cat has not eaten the full mine hundred mice to fulfill the proverb? Of course, Nawaz and Benazir, ....more

Baisakhi
The day Khalsa order
was established

By Tanvir Shawl
Guru Tegh Badadur had sometime before his execution formally conveyed, the nomination of his only child Gobind .........more

MEN AND MATTERS
Unauthorized madrassas pose threat to security

By B L Kak
The regulation of an educational institution is a State subject. There are no two opinions on this issue. But the Government ....more

EDITORIAL

Reluctant horse!

With the new Pradesh Congress Committee chief having barged in into the town, and presumably the State, with a mammoth rally at the Zenana Park, the Congress High command has sent the proverbial reluctant horse to water. Apparently it has not been able to make him drink yet as the Former Central Minister, General Secretary and an acclaimed minor king-maker of Congress actually scoffed at the Chief Minister-ship of ‘this small State' after he had been tossing scores of Chief Ministers of much bigger States around in his career at the Center. To be fair, those tall claims are not very inaccurate. He has been henchman of some of the most powerful Prime Ministers of this country and had kicked many CMs around in his hey day. Even in the decline of Congress he did manage to kick one more former Chief Minister of a really large State into the CM’s chair in a much smaller State. Few, however, would say that CM, who has a grassroots following large enough to make him a Prime Ministerial contender, is so very unhappy there. So isn’t that reluctance showing, rather plainly, in that flat refusal?

That refusal however may be to placate the local satraps of the Congress. For one thing Azad has been able to bring some of the heavy weights in the Pradesh Congress to one platform, though his immediate predecessor did not make it. But then the lobbies in the State Congress have been known for some time and Azad had been known to have fostered if not fathered some himself. And, of course, lobbies and factions are an inalienable part of what is called the Congress culture. But it was a rare occasion for so many of the major Congress leaders to have come on the single platform and, as Azad put it, ‘spoken in one voice’. With Azad out of reckoning for even the CM-ship what to speak of smaller offices, the 'leadership' can hope for all the plums that may be there, though few are hanging in the bush right now. With the NDA still firmly in power there is little chance of Farooq shifting sides. So the Congress Chief has ruled out any alliance with NC. One however can be sure that the day the possibility comes about, the Congress would be ready to receive a receptive Farooq in arms and alliance. But for the time it is out and there the matter rests.

So the Congress would be concentrating on building its own profile. That suits the situation as well as the reluctant head. Accordingly the focus of the party would be more on Jammu than on Kashmir. And so he does promise to make efforts for overall development of the State with all the three regions clearly mentioned indicates. Jammu is Azad’s constituency, for whatever it is worth. If it is said that is not much, the fact that Congress overall does not matter that much, must be kept in mind. For the last two decades Congress has nearly given this sensitive state up. In fact no major attempt appears to have been made since the early nineteen-eighties to make remark in the State. And the new Chief is not in any hurry to make it. For that matter it is not itself clear what the central leadership of Congress wants to aim at by sending Azad here. Unless, of course, one or other of those jettisoned CMs got wiser and clearly to oust him out of the Dilli durbar.

All under one lying!

If anyone ever had doubts about National Conference being truly, fully, heartily secular one has only to look at two most illustrious scions in it. Farooq Abdullah the legatee of the Sheikh legacy family holds his father's bequeath of Aukaf-I-Islamia under his stewardship. And, Ajat Shatru Singh as the scion of the Maharaja family itself has the Dharmartha, if not under his thumb, in good grip. Last week- Farooq presided over the Aukaf meeting to set up two Islamic universities to give the Party, Government and State its full quota of balanced secularism. This week Maharaj Kumar leads the Charri Mabarak to Puramandal. If the 1996 election saw once-raja-now-rank and once-runk-now-raja-maharaja coming together in a new-world equalization of Raja and Rank ideal, this election year has seen them mix the secular potion in equal and emphatic ways to make the party and State a most ‘secular’ and ‘equal’ one. And, of course, the party now has all and everything under one wing, safely secured.

And if you add the newfound alliance between the Akhil Bhartiya Shiva Sena and the National Conference not to speak of the lasting alliance NC has with all the right-wingers on the NDA podium, you get a good picture how genuine, how full this new secularism is. In a way, secularism has been a much-twisted concept in this part of the world. And the NC twists it so tight that it does appear as a very straight thing indeed. Gone are the days when a leader like Kashap Bandu could squarely ask Sheikh Abdullah to give up his presidency of Aukaf as it negated the party's secular creed. To keep this balance smoothly tilted even the Congress, in its secular hey-day or after, never asked Dr. Karan Singh to give up his headship of Dharmartha trust inherited of his royal ancestors. They kept their Aukaf's and Dharmartha, headed secular Government's and blasted everyone who even remotely attempted to speak of religion and cultures as communalists. They, in fact, did it with so much right heinousness that none has ever dared raise the issues of the raging secularisms being rooted and ranted from outrightly religious planks. But then India has a firm legacy of never nothing what the preachers 'do' but unquestioningly accepting what they 'say', even when all knew that it was no deeper than the lips it was preached from. Long live the secular trades!

Musharraf makes his mind
Men, Matters and Memories

By M L Kotru

General Pervez Musharraf has made up his mind and it is not
for the Pakistanis to decide whether they agree with him or not. Musharraf has not left much room for them to say no to him. The question as he posed to his people that Friday night in yet another marathon telecast was "you have to decide whether Pakistan requires me and if it does what were National and provincial assemblies to do". So far as Pakistanis requiring him Musharraf was certain that he is "required". Which means that in the kind of referendum conceptualised by the Pakistani dictator it doesn't really matter how many say yes or no. Among the identifiable noes so far are the parties of the religious right and the two principal political parties, the People's Party of Benazir Bhutto and the Muslim League of Nawaz Sharif. The religious parties could be a nuisance but the General has ensured that the major political parties are emasculated well before R-Day. He has managed to get hold of little bits of PML apart from men like former President Farooq Leghari and also cricketer Imran Khan who are obviously hoping to partake of the power pie regardless of its much diminished size.

For Musharraf, like Ayub Khan and Ziaul Haq, the two earlier military dictators, who between them ruled the country for nearly a quarter of a century, has no use for political parties. He might, if it becomes absolutely essential, bless one of the rump parties as his own; he will again be borrowing a leaf from the books of his two military predecessors. Musharraf, even as he continues to swear by his commitment to democracy has no intention to let Pakistan be one. In his scheme of things the assemblies, including the National Assembly, would be mere dummies with a Prime Minister of his choice doing his and the Army's bidding. For Musharraf is very intent on giving the armed forces a constitutional role in the running of the State. Given his great love for the Turkish Model he would obviously want the Army to play the pivotal role even if a Prime Minister has to be around.

Mind you, and Pakistan must remain grateful for the thought, Gen. Musharraf is convinced that his continuation as President is essential for the good of Pakistan. And having said that he also wants to be reassured that the people of Pakistan agree with him. The May referendum, giving him another five years in office, may fly in the face of assurance given by him to the country's Supreme Court that democracy would be restored within three years of the coup staged by him in Oct. 1999, but then the same court, it is argued, has allowed him to effect any constitutional changes deemed necessary by him. And he has the evil genius of Sharifuddin Pirzada, adviser to all dictatorial Pakistani regimes, including Musharraf, to fall back upon. You can trust Pirzada to come up with the perfect quibble to defeat the purposes of law. He does it with such panache.

Pirzada, like his current boss, is obviously confident that the measures taken by Musharraf to put "Pakistan back on the democratic track" and to overhaul its economy, among other things, should in no case be allowed to be tinkered with. For one thing, it was there for everyone to see how he had already established "real democracy and empowered people" through the party-less elections to local bodies.

Even as he was persuading people to say "yes, we required", Musharraf made it clean that no future set-up could reverse the reforms initiated by him. He desired a harmonious relationship with the future Prime Minister.... but he would never allow the Prime Minister to either go "against national interest" or reverse the reforms. The General is convinced that only the Army knows what is in national interest - from harbouring and sponsoring terrorism to surprise like the Kargil misadventure or nurturing the Al Qaeda and Taliban for a decade. For the present he is sure that George Bush is not overely worried over a quick Pakistani return to democracy. Bush is aware also that Musharraf is both the Army chief and the President an arrangement which, for the present suits, the Americans. That's the classic one-window operation. You don't have to run around Presidents, Prime Ministers, Army Chiefs et al. You got Musharraf rolled into one all purpose tool.

There is a danger for Pakistan in such a situation, though. And I will merely quote the Dawn's respected columnist Ayaz Amir to illustrate the point" "As a nation we have yet to answer one question honestly. Who got rid of Zia? By 1988 - that is after Zia had been ruling for 11 years -- the very longevity of his rule had become tiresome. His face, with its trademark hypocritical smile, had been around for too long. If familiarity breeds contempt, eternity breeds boredom.... By declaring himself Army Chief until further orders and by going for a referendum which will baptise him as President for five years (on top of the there he will already have had) Gen. Musharraf is not so much tempting fate as testing his countrymen's patience. Which doesn't mean he cannot get away with it. If Ayub and Zia could (both lasting for 11 years apiece) why not him."

The columnist makes fun of Musharraf's boring references to the "silent majority" of Pakistani (who favour him and his ways, he claims). "As for that mythic entity, the silent majority, it is having a hard time surviving in these inflationary times. Why go through the farce of polling? Why not simply take a left out of WAPDA's (Water and Power Development Authority of Pakistan) book and like soldiers in uniform checking electricity meters, ask soldiers in uniform to go from house to house, questionnaire inhand, asking the people whether they are for or against Gen. Musharraf?" A more scathing indictment of the General and his ways you can't imagine.

Read Ayaz Amir and the text of Gen Musharraf's 100-minute telecast and you will see why I am taking the risk of alluding to Musharrafs concern for the rights of Kashmiris people, knowing that many readers will consider it an irrelevant intrusion. Musharraf's commitment to democracy and democratic norms sounds hollow as you read the text of his speech. Partyless elections, a Prime Minister without powers, an all omnipresent omniscient, omnipotent Army, a powerful General acting both as the President and the Army Chief. Provincial Governments and assemblies as impotent as the one at the federal leave. Musharraf talks of local bodies and nazims taking the administration to grossroots but you had only to listen to some of the nazims on PTV, the morning after Musharraf's telecast, to feel how helpless they are with little or no financial powers. What does Gen Musharraf have to offer to the people of Jammu and Kashmir - and I am not talking of the Valley alone, for a change - to make Pakistan an attractive proposition. A military dictatorship, I believe.

The Pakistani drumbeatres in the Valley, particularly of the Hurriyat Conference, need to do some introspection on the General's volte face on restoration of democracy in Pakistan. Should the Hurriyat decide to take a hard look at these developments they might come to the sensible conclusion of participating in the upcoming elections to the State assembly.

Nau sau mice and Musharraf.......
Yours Randomly,

R. L. Bhat

O, do you think that this cat has not eaten the full mine hundred mice to fulfill the proverb? Of course, Nawaz and Benazir, who he decrees 'have no role in the future of Pakistan' which would all be Musharrafian would be tops on any count of these mousy-men. There would also be the whole Sharief clan, which was forced out young, old and women... all. Many would have included the scores of Musharraf's mohajir-brethren who have found this Pakistan getting even smaller for their living than the one presided over by Benazir and Nawaz. May be some would include Mullah Omer and bin Laden because even if those guys are not dead they are pretty much there, hiding and hounded as they are. The last week's raid at Faisalabad is said to have missed Laden just by a whisker. It had his top lieutenant Zyubed in the net together with many an Al Qaeda member. Yes even with their hideouts and caves they are quite on the brink. And, all courtesy Musharraf, in whose rise to the presidential peak they formed a nice rung if not most of the ladder.

For, how did Musharraf get to oust an elected Government, exile an acclaimed leader and assume the charge of everything from army to presidential palace and now the elections if not with the peculiar jihadi/fundamentalist winds they had whipped up? They, kept them breezing not only through Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Muslim world but the whole globe. Thus it was that Musharraf, a mere factotum of Government of Pakistan could refuse to meet the visiting Indian Prime Minister on his Lahore mission and get away with it. Thus it was that he, as the head of a much polarized, much Islamicised military, could order the sack of the Government of the day. Much as the theorists confusing the specific with the general may hypothesize about personal ambitions and power plays, it was this rank fundamentalism that saw Musharraf rise to the pinnacle of power rather tolerated him seize the nation of Pakistan. One may not call those sturdy military -men mice, yet all those he has used and thrown away on the way and would be taken into count. Now does that overflow the proverb?

But wait, you also must put in all the jihadis who buttressed Musharraf's claims in letter and spirit. And, include there all the shades and shapes of Jamaiti/Leagui opinion. They are as much a part of the Musharrafian plan as probably Musharraf himself, because had not those aberrations been put in place in Pakistan - and emphasized as the most wonted principles of Pak nationhood - none of the military - men, much less brash schemers would have been able to usurp a whole nation in these enlightened democratic times. Here most of the analysts besides the lay public and politicians make the fatal mistake of excluding the people from the factors that have fostered the exclusivist, intolerant fundamentalism of Pakistan. In fact, the silent contribution of the Pak people to the rise of this exclusivist creed is the most material of all the factors that are cited as its causes. This cat's pilgrimage would not have been conceived without that solid support.

That solid support has always been there for anyone to exploit it. It is there for those who presume to assume it. It cows down betimes; gets critical when the going gets too rough; grows sulking silent when the 'promise' fails, or gets restless when the usurpers who have ridden this horse lash the people with the whip and hoof. For it is meet that these aberrations should in due course tread on every protruding toe and get on to ride the peoples' backs also. So, they have been ridden, all these five decades. And none can say it has been anything but a rough, tough and tumbling ride. But the people have willingly stood for it. They would anyway stand for another of those back-rides. Only the rider should not appear to be too drawn out. Now had Musharraf declared this referendum sometime before the 9/11, his would have been a welcome ride. After Agra when he showed the Pak obduracy at its worst, this support would have willingly stood for him to straddle. Today, it may not be all that smooth.

But it would not be for the cares of democracy or dispensations or anything. It would be because he has shown his inability to carry the agenda through. Afghanistan may have been his majboori, but it is his mire. See he has only Kashmir to carry him through! Kashmir and the loot of Nawaz/Benazir, as he calls it. He is not, understandably, talking of legalities and constitutionalities. He including his referendum is one huge illegality, unconstitutionality as it is. And any way these are dead rats there. And cats going to visit holy places would not feast on dead things, would they? So he talketh of Kashmir, how he internationalized Kashmir, brought it to note etc. etc. till you begin to suspect that Jinnah had died three years ago and handed the baton to Musharraf who is carrying it high and aloft to complete his hajj! And he may actually land there for he has taken the full toll of all the posts on the route, eaten all the mice that are needed for a sinner to become a sage. He has piffled Pakistan a little more along the way. But does that matter to the people there, hooked to agendas as they are?

Baisakhi
The day Khalsa order was established

By Tanvir Shawl

Guru Tegh Badadur had sometime before his execution formally conveyed, the nomination of his only child Gobind Rai to the Gurship at Anandpur. The latter was thus called upon the assume the leadership of grief stricken at the tender age of nine. He had spent hardly three years under the care of his father at Anandpur at that time. Although having been endowed with all qualities of head and heart, he seemed to have received enough education and training in the arts of war and peace. He had imbibed the true spirit of Sikh Guruship and understood the future significance of his role. During those days, he was ably guided by his maternal Uncle Kirpal Chand as well as his grand mother. The young Guru styled as Sacha Padshah according to the old usage, began to dress himself in princely custumes adopted the royal insignia of Guru Hargobind and summoned armed volunteers as his guards. He met the sangat in a beautifully decorated Darbar where he was seated like a prince on raised platform. The devotees were encouraged to bring horses and even elephants as weapons of war. Irrespective of whether Guru Gobind nourished any political ambition, Anandpur emerged as Centre of Sikh power. The tragic death of Guru Tegh Bahadur had left and indelible impression on the mind of Guru Gobind who had assumed the Guru Gadi with the solemn resolve to fight the tyranny of Mughal Government. Within a couple of years, the number of his armed volunteers who had dedicated their lives to the service of Guru had risen to thousands by 1685. Guru Gobind grew up to be an accomplished spiritual guide, and skilled warrior who commanded love and respect for his devotees. Accordingly, Kirpal Chand and other advisors of the Guru gracefully relegated themselves into the background and Guru was left free to manage the Sikh affairs as he deemed fit. The popularity of Sikhism in the hills and the marital activities of Guru Gobind elected the jealousy of the Hill chiefs. They under the leader-ship of Shah of Srinagar led, an attack on Paonta but were defeated and repulsed by Sikhs in the battle of Bhangan. After two decades of strenuous efforts put in by Guru Gobind to weld Sikhs into a compact body of soldier-saints, it made him conscious of some inherent defects from which they suffered.

On the basis of his personal experience, particularly in the battle in Bhangani, the Guru had watched with interest as well as anxiety how some of his chicken hearted followers deserted him at the time of crisis. His most serious problem seemed to be how to wipe out element of selfishness, cowardice and fear from the hearts of Hindus and Sikhs. After long experimentation and serious thought, confined exclusively to himself Guru Gobind ultimately made up his mind to bring about a revolution in the socio-cultural life and out look of his followers by the foundation of the Khalsa. He convened a large Assembly of Sikhs at Anandpur at the occasion of Basakhi in 1699.

About 80,000 people attended the celebration. A day before Basakhi, Guru held a grand Darbar at Kesh Garh near Anandpur, and in a dramatic manner he put to test the courage of Sangat by inviting persons who were ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of Guru and their faith. It created quite a stir but after considerable hesitation five persons did come forward on by one to offer their heads. These five persons Dayaram, Dharam Dass, Mokham Chand, Sahib Chand and Himat Rai were made the Khalasa. The 'purified done' by the Administration of Khande Ka Pahul viz, the Baptism of double edged sword instead of traditional Charan Pahul. The Panj Payare, the five beloved as they were called received the new names by the addition epithet of 'Singh' to their original names. Thus becoming Daya Singh, Dharam Singh, Mokham Singh, Sahib Singh and Himat Singh respectively. Thereafter Guru himself received Khande Ka Pahul from the hands of Panj Payarayas and changed his own name to Gobind Singh. The Khalsa were asked to accept five things. Each beginning with letter K viz Kesh (Long Hair) Kangha (Comb) Kaccha (Underwear), Kara (Iron Bangle) and Kirpan (Sword). A strict code of social conduct was prescribed for Khalsa. Its foundation had tremendous effects on Sikhs. It created 'lions out of Jackals' and 'Hawk out of sparrows', Guru wrote in a letter in Persian verse to Aurangzeb. The letter entitled Zafaranama, was sent to the emperor through Dharam Singh and Daya Singh. The Guru also justified the armed struggle carried on by the Sikhs as is revealed by one of the popular couplets of Zafarnama.

"Chun kar az huma hilate Darguzasht

Halal asto bardan be shamsir dast".

When all other alternatives flop, it is justified to take up the sword. This shows that Guru had neither any prejudice against the Mughal Government nor any feeling of personal hatred against Aurangzeb, the murder of his father. He hated sin not the sinner. Aurangzeb invited Guru to meet him in Deccan where he was entagled in life and death struggle against Marathas.

Therefore, Guru set for Deccan through Rajasthan where he heard of the news of Aurangzeb's death. Before his death, Guru had taken a policy decision for future guidance of his followers. The period of their Gurus was over and after him they must regard Adi Granth at their Guru in thought word and deed.

MEN AND MATTERS
Unauthorized madrassas pose threat to security

By B L Kak

The regulation of an educational institution is a State subject. There are no two opinions on this issue. But the Government of India cannot keep quiet if any educational institution in any part of the country is found indulging in, or encouraging directly or indirectly, anti-national activity. The Centre, in fact, has powers to intervene.

It is, precisely, in this context that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has made it clear that no leniency would be shown to those who seek to make madrassas indulge in anti-national activities or motivate them to practise philosophy of hatred towards non-Muslims. The MRA has urged all States and Union Territories to ensure that 'vested interests' and potentially-dangerous elements were effectively prevented from converting madrassas into centres for anti-national activities.

The Minister for Home Affairs, Mr L.K. Advani, cannot be faulted for his emphasis on the need to preserve India's secular character and curb anti-national activities. His suggestion to competent authorities in all States to ensure healthy functioning of madrassas obviously followed the receipt of reports by his Ministry about the refuge a number of agents of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) have taken in several madrassas in certain States.

These States include Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Kerala and West Bengal, besides Assam. Unauthorized madrassas, many of them existing in Jammu and Kashmir, northeastern region, West Bengal and UP, are the breeding ground of terrorism. Unauthorized madrassas, according to intelligence reports available with the Ministry of Home Affairs, are existing in Kupwara, Lolab and Ganderbal sectors of Kashmir and Darhal, Kalakote, Sunderbani and Nowshera in Rajouri district, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar, Inderwal and Wadwan in Doda district in Jammu region.

Statistics available with the MHA confirm existence of nearly 400 madrassas on the Indian side of the Indo-Nepal border in UP and Bihar as against about 200 on the Nepal side of the frontier Maharajganj and Siddharthnagar districts of UP accounts for the maximum number of madrassas - 60 in Maharajgang district and 55 in Siddharthnagar district-followed by 25 each in the district of Balrampur and Lakhimpur Kheri in the State. Similarly, Bihar's Sitamarhi district accounts for the maximum number (50) as against 25 in West Champaran district and 20 in East Champaran district in the State.

During his recent meeting with Mr Advani, Mr Buddadev Bhattacharya, Chief Minister of West Bengal, was said to have portrayed a disturbing picture of the role of Muslim fundamentalists in the sensitive districts of Nadia, Malda and Murshidabad, where almost every mosque has madrassa attached to it As many as 10 Islamic countries, Mr Advani was informed, provided financial assistance for spreading the madrassa network in West Bengal alone.

Mr Buddadev Bhattacharya had yet another sensational piece of information for the Union Home Minister, Of the 500-odd madrassas in West Bengal, quite a few are not affiliated to the West Bengal Madrassa Board. These madrassas harboured anti-national elements. Most of the ISI agents hitherto nabbed in different places of West Bengal had links with madrassas Information available with the Government has confirmed that madrassas registered with Madrassa Board are relatively harmucss.

Union Minister of State for Home, Mr Vidyasagar Rao, has had a meeting with his immediate 'boss' (Mr Advani) recently on the list presently being prepared on the number of unauthorized Muslim religious schools across the country. Mr Rao, like his 'boss', avoided making public the Government's proposed scheme of things against these unauthorized madrassas. Mr Rao, however, stated that the mushrooming of madrassas in the name of propagating religion was posing a danger to the internal security of the country. Inaugurating the delegates meeting of the Bhartiya Yuva Janata Morcha (BYJM) in Kozhikode (Kerala) on April 9, Mr Vidyasagar Rao said that a majority of madrassas had shady dealings. The ISI agents, he let it be known, are luring students from the madrassas into their network.

How should the question be tackled without offending the religious sensibilities of Muslims? Raising this question, Mr PC Dogra, a well-known security specialist and former Director-General of Police, Punjab, has cautioned: "The more the Centre interfers, the more hardened will be their (Muslims') attitude resulting in the clandestine madrassa activity". Mr. Dogra has, at the same time, reckoned the fact that the powers that be in Delhi cannot overlook the anti-national activities of some undesirable madrassas.

Mr. Dogra has used the term "unprecedented" to described the growth of madrassas in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, all along the Indo-Pakistan border of Rajasthan, Indo-Bangladesh and Indo-Nepal borders. According to contents of a page of Mr. Dogra's diary, while some of the madrassas have been indulging in anti-national activities and turning out jehadis, he first came to know of it during his posting in J&K as the Inspector General of BSF, Jammu Frontier, in 1988. "here madrassas had become indoctrination centres for producing saboteurs. In late eighties and early nineties, there was a rapid growth of madrassas all over J&K", he has noted.

These madrassas, Mr Dogra says, produced the front rank activists of Jamaat-e-Islami, who , if not becoming the jehadis themselves, were the overground workers of the Pak-sponsored terrorist outfits and were used for planting explosive devices like IEDs in Kashmir valley which caused maximum casualties to the security forces. Mr. Dogra has also recorded in his diary. "A large majority of the Hizbul Mujahideen were the products of these madrassas My officers and I were of the firm view that the only course open to us was effective action against the madrassa-educated overground workers of Jamaat-e-Islami".

Even as Mr Dogra has sought to highlight the need of "some" madrassas for training ulemas and the maulvis as also for higher studies in theology, he wants leaders of Muslim community to come forward to create general awareness among Muslims about the dangers of overwhelmingly sectarian education. Mr. Dogra's yet another suggestion: There is also need for the registration of the madrassas and monitoring of their funds.