Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration’s order to seal two madrasas (Islamic schools) in the Kishtwar district of the Jammu region is already under the scrutiny of the J&K high court, The Wire has learnt.Despite the high court’s red flag, the administration, which is run directly by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government, sealed Madrasa Taleem-ul-Quran and Madrasa Asraful Aloom, which are located in Tatani Suroor area of Kishtwar’s Drabshalla tehsil, on Tuesday, July 4.According to officials, the two madrasas are linked to the Jammu-based Maulana Ali Miyan Nadwi Education Charitable (MAMNEC) Trust, which has been accused of violating Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA) norms under an order (No: 301/FCRA/2023/696-714) passed on June 14 by Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar.On July 4, the court had barred the administration from taking any punitive action against the madrasas in the Union territory other than those run by the trust. Nearly 100 students are enrolled at the two schools which have been closed following the administration’s latest move.“As per the order (301/FCRA/2023/696-714) of Divisional Commissioner … and Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kishtwar under DMK/K/23/686 (dated 22 June, 2023) and Additional DC Kishtwar under DM/K/23/762-A (dated July 3, 2023), this school is handed over (to the administration) and shut down,” reads a letter written in Urdu which was handed to the administrator of Madrasa Taleem-ul-Quran.A similarly worded letter was also given to the administrator of Madrasa Asraful Aloom.Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar, Dr. Devansh Yadav, said that the two madrasas were allegedly linked to MAMNEC Trust. “This is part of a detailed investigation carried out into the functioning of MAMNEC Trust,” said Dr. Yadav, adding that the education of the students will not be impacted.However, the administrators of the two madrasas have denied the allegations. “The closure order was handed to us without giving us a chance of being heard. We don’t have links with any trust. The madrasa runs on donations and public funds from people across Jammu and Kashmir,” Mohammad Arshad, Mohatamin (administrator) of Madrasa Taleem-ul-Quran, told The Wire.“If a single transaction is found in our bank account which is linked to MAMNEC Trust, the government should hang us. But shutting our madrasa where young children get religious education without any reason is unjust and wrong,” he added.Earlier, the administration, by invoking the Divisional Commissioner’s order, had sealed Jamiat-us-Salihat and at least two other madrasas in Jammu for having links with MAMNEC Trust. However, the High Court had revoked the decision.“A perusal of the said order no. 301/FCRA/2023/696- 714 … would reflect that it nowhere authorizes the respective Deputy Commissioner of the Districts to carry out takeover of the madrassas run by other Trusts. The order of the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu is specific to MAMNEC Trust,” the High Court observed on Wednesday, July 4.The high court had asked the administration to issue a show-cause notice before taking any action against the Jamiat-us-Salihat madrasa while putting the order of shutting down two other madrasas in Jammu in abeyance.The administration was “directed not to act against” Jamiat-us-Salihat madrasa without “any reasoned order” while the order for taking control of the other two madrasas “shall remain in abeyance”, “This order is however subject to objections from the other side,” the court observed on July 4.The action against the madrasas is part of a wider crackdown on the non-governmental organisations and their affiliates in Jammu and Kashmir which are suspected of having violated the norms of foreign funding.According to a Government of India survey in 2013, there are 372 madrasas in Jammu and Kashmir. A 2022 book by Dr. Nisar A Bhat Trail titled Madrasa Education in Jammu and Kashmir puts the number at 499 with 16 of them in Kishtwar district alone.The 2022 book states that these madrasas have nearly half a million books in their libraries but only 94 have adopted modern education along with religious education. Thousands of children, mostly orphans and those coming from financially poor families, get religious education along with boarding and other facilities at these madrasas.“The sealing of the madrasas has added a new twist to the ongoing controversy, which has garnered significant attention and raised questions regarding the legality and fairness of the Deputy Commissioner’s order. The actions taken by the authorities have sparked concerns about the potential disruption of education for the students enrolled in these institutions,” Chenab Times, an independent online news outlet, reported.Arshad, the administrator of Madrasa Taleem-ul-Quran, said that the government’s decision will impact the education of his students, “My students get free education because of the generosity of the public. Denying them the chance to learn about their religion is wrong,” he said.However, DC Kishtwar, Dr. Yadav, said that the students will be given a choice to either continue their religious education where the district administration is planning to appoint a government teacher. “The students can also opt to join a government-run school anywhere in the district,” he told The Wire.In recent years, the BJP-led Union government has launched a crackdown on non-government organisations (NGOs) under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). However, over Rs 22,000 crore foreign funds were received by NGOs and other associations in 2021-22, higher than that received in the previous two years.