Special investigation: Shady madrasas mushrooming along Indo-Nepal border

India Today

2 days ago

A special investigation by India Today has unearthed a widespread network of unregulated and illegal madrasas operating on both sides of the Indo-Nepal border, raising serious concerns around illegal foreign funding, radical teachings, and internal security.The investigation reveals how madrasas in Bihar and neighbouring Nepal are accepting money routed through illegal hawala channels — mostly from Gulf countries — and, in many instances, are reportedly involved in teaching content that promotes extremist ideologies.advertisementHere's what the India Today Special Investigation Team uncovered:BIHAR: FOREIGN FUNDING, RADICAL CONTENT, NO OVERSIGHT
In Bihar, several madrasas along the Nepal border were found to be functioning without government recognition. These include institutions in Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, and remote locations like Bajpatti and Parsuni.In Muzaffarpur's Jamia, Nuria Merajul Uloom, a teacher who has been with the madrasa for over two decades openly admitted to accepting funds via hawala. He was also open to the idea of using that money to create a separate faculty to indoctrinate students with jihadi narratives. "We will brainwash them step-by-step," he told the undercover reporter.In Sitamarhi's Bajpatti region, another illegal madrasa — Madrasa Islamia Mehmoodia — was found operating out of a tin shed with no signage. Its administrator, Azruddin Dilkhush, spoke freely about receiving hawala money from Gulf countries via Nepal and disguising it as donation box collections. He also confirmed that fake Indian IDs could be used to enrol undocumented children, including those of Bangladeshi origin.The same pattern was found at Madrasa Islamia Darul Quran in Deema village, operating from a government community hall. Here, videos of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik were shown to students, and a controversial textbook, Taaleem-ul-Islam, which refers to non-Muslims as "kafirs" (infidels), was being taught from Class 1 onwards.NEPAL: OPEN DOORS TO FOREIGN INFLUENCE, JIHADI MESSAGINGAcross the border in Nepal, the investigation found similar trends of foreign funding and radical influence. In Mahottari district, Mohammad Shahid Hussain of Madrasa Ahsania admitted on camera to accepting Gulf-funded hawala money. Shahid said people from countries like Lebanon and Pakistan came to deliver motivational speeches in local halls, targeting students and youth for ideological grooming.In Dhanusha district, another madrasa run by Naimuddin was also found to be a willing participant in disseminating jihadi literature. He told undercover reporters that he would distribute books on jihad and mujahideen to children and that "preparing Muslims for jihad" was part of their ecosystem. However, he also admitted that due to the area being Hindu-majority, such teachings were conducted discreetly.- EndsMust Watch