UP continues crackdown on illegal madrassas, mosques and other establishments on Indo-Nepal border

The Uttar Pradesh government has continued its crackdown on illegally constructed madrassas, mosques, mazars and idgahs in the districts that border Nepal. So far,  225 madrassas, 30 mosques, 25 mazars and six idgahs have been demolished.

This is part of heightened security measures and the chief minister’s drive against illegal encroachments.

Demolitions of encroachments and unrecognised religious institutions have taken place in Maharajganj, Siddharthnagar, Balrampur, Shravasti, Bahraich, Lakhimpur Kheri, and Pilibhit near the border.

On Wednesday, illegal madrassas demolished in Maharajganj included one in Semrahni village of Farenda tehsil and Jugauli village of Nautanwa.  Another madrassa built on government land in Kalimpurwa Rampur Jabdi of Bhinga tehsil of Shravasti was also bulldozed. In Bahraich, illegal encroachments made by a mazar on forest land were removed.

110 unrecognised madrassas have been demolished in Shravasti which is some 80 kilometres from the Nepal border. This is followed by 35 in Siddharthnagar and 30 in Balrampur. 

As for mosques built on encroached land, action has been taken against 9 each in Maharajganj and Siddharthnagar, while eight in Bahraich have been demolished. As for mazars, 10 have been razed in Balrampur, followed by 7 in Maharajganj. Two idgahs in Sravasti have been bulldozed, while one in Maharajganj, Balrampur, Bahraich and Lakhimpur Kheri has been razed.

The border between Uttar Pradesh and Nepal is approximately 599 kilometres long, and seven districts fall along that length. This is an open border and people can just walk from one side to the other. In the best of times, checking is minimal. It is rarely sealed on occasions such as elections. What makes detection of movement across the border a challenge is also that tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries fall along it. These include the Pilibhit and Dudhwa tiger reserve and the Suhelwa, Katarnaghat and Sohagi Barwa sanctuaries.

India