India Bans Jamia Siraj ul Uloom Seminary to Crush Education Rights in IIOJK

The Indian government has taken a cruel step by banning Jamia Siraj ul Uloom in South Kashmir. This famous school has been shut down under the harsh Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. This law is now a common tool for the state to bully local voices and criminalize social work. Closing this top school shows that the authorities do not care about the rights of the people in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). It is part of a plan to push a majoritarian agenda and leave no room for minorities to breathe.

Using Terror Laws to Silence Schools

Applying the UAPA against a primary school is a clear abuse of power. In IIOJK the state is using security laws to control every part of life. Over the last few years many people have been locked up and groups closed without any real proof. This legal system is unfair because it makes it impossible for schools to defend themselves. By calling a school a threat the government stops thousands of kids from learning. This creates a climate of fear where no local institution feels safe from the state.

The Destruction of a Great Educational Heritage

Jamia Siraj ul Uloom was much more than a religious center since it started in the 1990s. It was a place where kids learned both modern science and their own traditions. The school was officially registered and helped produce many doctors and scholars. It taught Arabic and Islamic law alongside regular subjects to keep a balance that the community loved. The sudden ban has destroyed the future of these students. Now these young boys and girls have nowhere to go and no way to finish their exams.

A Broad Campaign to Shut Down Local Learning

The ban on this seminary is part of a bigger war on education in IIOJK. The government is taking over trusts and mosques across the valley. The Falah e Aam Trust is a prime example of this crackdown. In 2022 the state declared it illegal and started grabbing its buildings. This led to the closure of many schools that served the poorest children. It is now obvious that the government wants to destroy any school system that it does not totally control.

Alarming Data on Recent School Closures

The numbers show a terrifying picture for the future of literacy in the region. Reports say that 273 schools linked to the Falah e Aam Trust are now under government control as of April 2026. In 2025 alone 215 schools were hit and 58 more have been targeted this year. These are just the official numbers and the real damage could be much worse. These stats prove there is a deliberate plan to kill independent education in IIOJK. This scale of interference is a direct attack on the social fabric of the people.

Education Under a Brutal Colonial Style Rule

The way IIOJK is managed today looks like an old colonial system. Officials from outside the region hold all the power and act like kings. They decide what Kashmiri kids should read and what language they should speak. This is classic colonial education meant to control the minds of the local people. By ignoring what the locals want the state is trying to wipe out their identity. Decisions are made by outsiders who view the local culture with hate and suspicion.

Erasing Culture Through Changes in the Curriculum

The plan to change how students learn in IIOJK started long ago with the NCERT system. This slowly pushed Islamic studies to the side in local schools. Religious education was made an optional subject rather than a main one. This was done to move the new generation away from their roots. Schools like Jamia Siraj ul Uloom were vital because they protected the heritage of the region. By closing them the government wants to finish its job of forced assimilation.

Ignoring International Laws and Human Rights

The whole world agrees that education is a basic human right. International deals say that parents have the right to choose the religious education of their kids. Global laws also say that nations must respect the culture of every student. India has signed these deals but is breaking them in IIOJK. Targeting seminaries is a direct slap to these global rules. India is using its own security laws to crush human rights and it is failing its moral duty to the people.

Treating Students Like a Security Threat

The government in New Delhi now looks at everything in IIOJK through a security lens. This means they see schools and teachers as enemies instead of help for society. When history and language are treated as problems it makes the whole community feel like criminals. Using terror laws to shut a school is a crazy move that turns learning into a battle. This mindset stops all progress and makes the youth feel more angry and alone. No society can grow if its classrooms are treated like war zones.

Restoring the Right to Learn in IIOJK

The world must see that the right to learn is being stolen from the children of IIOJK. The state must stop using the UAPA to attack schools for political reasons. Saving education requires honesty and respect for the culture of the people. If these schools stay closed the damage to society will be permanent. The government must end these harsh policies and let schools work without fear. Peace will only come when the rights of the people to teach their children are fully given back.