MP News: NHRC Seeks Report On ‘Illegal Conversion Racket’ In Madarsas, Targeting Hindu Children

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Taking cognizance of a recent complaint of an alleged illegal conversion racket operating in many districts of Madhya Pradesh targeting Hindu children with the intent of their conversion to Islam, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought a report within 15 days.

The Commission has written to the Principal Secretary of the School Education Department to conduct an inquiry into the complaint, seeking an action taken report (ATR) within a fortnight.

NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo said that the Commission got a complaint on September 26, alleging that the illegal conversion racket was operating in the state, targeting 556 Hindu children by enrolling them in 27 unauthorised madrasas with the intent to convert them to Islam.

These madrasas, it said, were located in Morena, Islampura, Zaura, Poursa, Ambah, Kailaras, Sambalgarh, and other areas. It pointed out that without government sanction, these institutions were teaching Hindu children the Quran and Hadees, thus violating the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2015, Article 28(3) of the Constitution of India, and the Madhya Pradesh Government Order of August 16, 2024, which bars non-Islamic children from studying in Islamic madrasas. 

The complaint alleged that the racket may involve illegal foreign funding and links to anti-national elements and that, despite a year having passed, no effective government action has been taken.

Seeking the Commission’s intervention, the complaint asked that an FIR be registered, the affected children be rescued, and that action be taken against the operators of such madrasas in the state. It has also asked for a multi-agency investigation to dismantle the alleged racket.