New Delhi: Concerned over indiscriminate growth of 'madrasas' (Islamic schools) along India's international borders, the Centre is considering enacting a law to regulate activities of places of worship and religious instructions.

The problem of mushrooming of places of worship and instruction along the borders and their misuse for fundamentalist and other anti-national activities was highlighted in the report of Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Home Minister L K Advani on national security last year (2001).

The GoM was set up to review the national security system in its entirety after the 1999 Kargil conflict. Out of its 94 recommendations, 55 had already been implemented and the rest were being put into action.

"There is evidence to show that this growth is part of a larger design to soften our borders and subvert the border population," informed sources said.

"The Central government is considering the feasibility of enactment of a Central legislation to regulate the activities of places of worship and religious instructions," they said.

The sources said concerted efforts were being made by Pakistan to generate a feeling of alienation among people living in border areas through allurements, subversive propaganda and promotion of religious fundamentalism.

The sources said in order to maintain vigilance and prevent misuse of places of worship, all the State governments having international borders – land or coastal – have been advised to co-ordinate intelligence to identify such places where anti- national activities might be taking place.

The State governments, they said, have also been asked to take action against religious institutions whose activities were in contravention to the provisions of Religious Institution (Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1988.

The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry was also implementing a Central scheme to modernise 'madrasas' through State government, they said, adding that funds were regularly given to the state authorities for the purpose.

The sources maintained that "Remoteness of local administration, its low visibility, illegal immigration, smuggling of arms, explosives and narcotic substances and ethnic, religious and cultural affinities of the population along the borders complicate the problems further."

To meet the special need of people living in remote and inaccessible areas along the borders, they said border area development programme, a 100 per cent Centrally funded scheme, was being implemented. It focuses on provisions of essential needs, strengthening of social infrastructure and filling up of critical gaps in road networks.

The Home Ministry has also established a separate border management division and appointed a full-fledged secretary to head it.

PTI