Kashmir Court Orders Re-Opening of Seminary Shut Under UAPA

A Jammu and Kashmir court has lifted its ban on Siraj-ul-Aloom. A prominent seminary in south Kashmir, nearly five months after it was deemed an unlawful entity under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The decision comes with a caveat: the seminary will reopen under the watchful eye of a newly formed oversight committee.

Comprised of representatives from the district administration. education department, and a designated local expert, the committee will ensure the seminary's operations adhere to established standards.

“It was an interim direction. The court shared that the education of the students shouldn't suffer,” Advocate S M Iqbal, representing the Siraj-ul-Aloom, shared. “The court ordered the restoration of the school and its assets, including the hostel and the orchard, till the final outcome of the petition.”.

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The Indian government has designated Siraj-ul-Aloom, a prominent educational institution in south Kashmir, as an unlawful entity under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The move comes amid allegations of the seminary'It was alleged ties to the banned Jamaat-e-Islami.

As well as concerns over serious legal, administrative, and financial irregularities, and the alleged promotion of radicalization. The seminary, which was recognized by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education before the ban, had previously been at the center of a controversy when it was declared an "unlawful entity" under the UAPA.

Five months after the declaration, a J&K court has now ordered the re-opening of the seminary, with the court stating that the education of the students should not suffer.

Peer Gull Mohammad Sofi, the founder of Aloom Educational Trust, which runs Siraj-ul-Aloom, had been a key figure in the controversy surrounding the seminary's ban. Sofi had been at the center of allegations of promoting radicalization and had been accused of having ties to the banned Jamaat-e-Islami.

The court's decision to re-open the seminary has been welcomed by political leaders in the Valley, who had called the ban an "attack on Jammu and Kashmir's identity and dignity".

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As Siraj-ul-Aloom prepares to reopen, the educational landscape in Kashmir is poised for a seismic shift. The seminary's revival is likely to be subject to intense scrutiny from authorities, with a court-appointed committee set to oversee its operations. The move is also expected to reverberate throughout the region's education policy.

With many advocating for a re-examination of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act's application to educational institutions.

A detailed order is likely to be released on Friday, Iqbal said. The seminary's re-opening is expected to have significant implications for the education sector in Kashmir.