By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 22: National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanoongo has raised concern over the existence of madrassas in Meghalaya and urged the state government to keep an eye on them.
Speaking to media persons here on Saturday, Kanoongo, who is also associated with the work and the ideology of the RSS, said data revealed the existence of madrassas in Meghalaya.
“We have raised an alarm before the department concerned on the existence of madrassas in the state. We have asked them to get these madrassas checked,” Kanoongo said.
He said the state government is unaware of the existence of the madrassas in Ampati.
Stating that madrassas are schools but religious institutions, he referred to a discussion he had with a child studying in a madrassa. He said the child told him he does not want to be a professional. “We have requested the state government to conduct a survey on the madrassas and get the children enrolled in normal schools,” he said.
To a query, he said he has no idea that children from Meghalaya are being taken outside so they can undergo training on right-wing ideology and courses. He said this might have happened before he had taken over as the NCPCR chairperson.
It may be mentioned that Kanoongo always gets mired in controversies. Recently, the Bengaluru police had registered a case against him after his statement that the children at an orphanage in the city were living the “medieval Taliban life”.
According to media reports, he had received a video on WhatsApp and shared it on social media. Allegedly from Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh, the video shows a child being baptised. Kanoongo urged the state administration to check whether it was a violation of the Freedom of Religion Act.