Students and teachers of Shopian’s Islamic seminary Siraj-ul-Uloom have staged protests against the recent closure of the institute after being declared an unlawful entity under the anti-terror law UAPA.

The protesters urged the administration to reopen it to safeguard their future.

The protests against government decisions involving security issues have been rare in Kashmir since the 2019 scrapping of Article 370, as the victims fear further victimisation by the agencies.

Scores of students, accompanied by their parents, staged protests in Shopian and marched towards the deputy commissioner’s office to submit a memorandum urging the government to reconsider its decisions. They carried placards that read “save
our future” and “open our school” and raised slogans that education was their fundamental right.

A student said it was one of the best educational institutions in the Valley and its closure threatens to ruin their future. “We received modern education at our school. We have come here to urge the government to reconsider its decision,” he said.

Siraj-ul-Uloom was a leading Islamic seminary in the Valley, which combined traditional religious teachings with modern education. It was declared an entity under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), marking the first time a major Islamic institution had been brought under the anti-terror law.

The seminary runs a school and a college, with a combined staff and student strength of 102 and 814.

The government order issued by Kashmir divisional commissioner Anshul Garg on April 24 claimed the institution maintained a “sustained and covert linkages” with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami. The management denied the claims.