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Education Minister Sakina Itoo, who is facing criticism from the opposition over the takeover of 215 schools affiliated to the banned Jamaat-e-Islami in Jammu and Kashmir, has denied the order of the education department. She has clarified that the proposal moved by her had only sought temporary care till the formation of new committees after CID verification. Itoo clarified that the government has not taken control of 215 schools affiliated to the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) and its affiliate Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT) but has introduced a temporary arrangement for their management.
This clarification came after the government order issued by the School Education Department said that the schools would be taken over by the respective District Magistrates. According to the order, new management committees will be proposed after verification from intelligence agencies. Talking to reporters, the education minister said, ‘The order given by me clearly states that the tenure of the managing committees of these 215 schools has ended and these schools will be looked after by the cluster principals and not by the deputy commissioners as mentioned in the government order’.
Order issued by Secretary of School Education Department
According to the order issued yesterday by Secretary of School Education Department Ram Niwas Sharma, the government has decided to take control of 215 schools affiliated to Jamaat-e-Islami and its affiliated Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT) and these schools will be taken over by the respective District Magistrates who will propose new management committees for the respective schools in due course after verifying these duties’. Out of the 215 schools affiliated to Jamaat-e-Islami, 96 are in North Kashmir, 89 in South Kashmir and 30 in Central Kashmir including Srinagar.
The order issued by Education Department Secretary Ram Niwas Sharma said that intelligence agencies have identified several schools which are found to be directly or indirectly affiliated with the banned organisation Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI)/Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT)’. It said, ‘The validity of the managing committee of 215 such schools has expired and intelligence agencies have given adverse reports about it’. The government order said that to safeguard the academic future of the students enrolled in these schools, the administration has ordered to take control of the management committees of all 215 schools.
‘The government has not taken over these schools’
Education Minister Itoo said, ‘The government has not taken over these schools. The staff is the same, the buildings are the same and the students are also the same. The government will look after these schools for three months, till a review is done and the management committees of the schools and CID verification is done’. He said that the verification of these schools has expired and these schools faced problems at the time of registration for board exams every year.
Education Minister clarified
He said, ‘The career of more than 50,000 students enrolled in these 215 schools was at stake, as the validity of the management committee of the schools run by JEI had expired’. The minister stressed, ‘They issued a wrong order and said that the DC will run the schools. There is no mention of DC in my approval. They have created confusion’. The minister said that he had proposed in his approval that the DC will help the management committees of these schools in CID verification’. He questioned why the government would take over these schools?. He said, ‘Till the time the new management committee of the schools is formed and CID verification is obtained, we will take care of the schools’.
Opposition criticized the order
At the same time, the opposition has strongly criticized this order. People’s Conference president and MLA Sajad Lone termed the government’s move as a clear display of political encroachment and sycophancy. He said that the Jammu and Kashmir government has forcibly taken over 215 schools. The elected government has passed this order. Lone said that shame and shamelessness have taken on new meanings in this government. They are setting new standards of slavery.
MLA Sajad Lone attacks the government
Lone criticized the government’s decision and called it an exaggeration. He said that the elected government has passed this order and they are equal partners in all decisions. He said that whether it is sending mail or sacking employees, they are equal partners. They have been equal partners in the past and will remain equal partners in the future too. He said, ‘This is the A team, it has always been the A team’.
PDP leader Iltija Mufti targeted the government
At the same time, Iltija Mufti, daughter of PDP leader and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, said that whenever the National Conference has got an absolute majority in the history of Kashmir, their first target has always been the Jamaat. Sharing a post on social media, Iltija said, ‘Whether it is 1977 or today, they have crossed the limit by putting the future of thousands of students at risk. The vague and illogical U-turn of the NC Education Minister further aggravates the crisis. Why is their official policy of punishing and outlawing the Jamaat for decades not accepted?’.
BJP welcomes government’s decision
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur has welcomed the government’s decision to take control of 215 schools run by Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) and Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT). However, he questioned the Education Minister’s reluctance in implementing the decision. He asked, ‘Why is the Education Minister reluctant to take control of these schools? Is it because she does not want to anger Jamaat-e-Islami, or is there some other reason?’.
Thakur said, ‘With the intervention of the government, 51,000 children will no longer fall prey to separatist ideology. Instead, they will now get opportunities to excel in education, sports, technology and other fields and contribute to the progress of the nation’. He said that education should be free from any political or ideological influence. He urged the government to implement this order in Jammu and Kashmir without any delay.
The central government had banned the religious-social and political organization Jamaat-e-Islami in February 2019. The Jamaat has been banned under subsection (1) of section (3) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967) and the organization was declared an unlawful association. After the ban, the authorities started action against the organization and detained its leaders and workers. Hundreds of activists, including the Jamaat chief, were arrested and are lodged in various jails inside and outside Kashmir.
