Education Minister Sakina Itoo said verification of these schools had been completed, noting they faced problems every year during board exam registration, which the government’s move aimed to resolve.
SRINAGAR — A major political row has erupted after the Jammu and Kashmir government moved to formally take control of 215 schools which were being run by the Falah-e-Alam Trust (FAT), an educational body created by the Jamaat-e-Islami, a banned entity in India.
Facing Opposition backlash over the takeover of schools linked to the banned Jamaat-e-Islami in J&K, Education Minister Sakina Itoo has contradicted the Education Department’s order clarifying that the proposal moved by her only sought temporary care until new committees were formed after CID verification, reported TNIE.
“The order moved by me clearly states that the term of managing committees of these 215 schools had expired and these schools would be looked after by cluster principals and not by the Deputy Commissioners as is mentioned in the government order,” the Education minister said.
As per the order issued yesterday by Secretary to Govt School Education Department, Ram Niwas Sharma, the government has decided to take over 215 schools linked to JeI and its affiliate Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT) and these schools shall be taken over by the concerned District Magistrates, who shall proposed a fresh management committees in due course for the concerned schools after getting these duty verified.
Of the 215-JeI linked schools, 96 schools are in north Kashmir, 89 in South Kashmir and 30 in central Kashmir, including Srinagar.
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 be looking after these schools for three months till the review takes place and schools get management committees and CID verification”.
The verification of these schools, she said, had ended and these schools used to face issues every year at the time of registration for board exams.
“The career of over 50000 students enrolled in these 215 schools was at stake as the validity of the managing committee of JeI-run schools had expired,” she said.
“They issued a wrong order and mentioned DCs will run the schools. There is no mention of DCs in my approval. They have created confusion,” the minister asserted.
She said she had proposed in her approval that DCs would help the management committees of these schools in the CID verification.
“Why will the government take over these schools,” the minister questioned.
“We will look after the schools till a new management committee of the schools is formed and CID verification received,” she said.
The order issued by the Secretary to Govt School Education Department, Ram Niwas Sharma stated that the intelligence Agencies have identified a number of schools which were found to be directly or indirectly affiliated with the banned organisation Jamat-e-Islami (JeI)/Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT).
“The validity of the managing committee of 215 such schools has expired and has been reported adversely upon by the intelligence agencies,” it stated.
The government order stated that in order to safeguard the academic future of the students enrolled in these schools, the administration has ordered the takeover of the management committees of all 215 schools.
Opposition Peoples Conference president and MLA Sajad Lone termed the government’s move a “blatant display of political overreach and servility.”
“215 schools forcibly taken over by the J&K Government. And no prizes for guessing. The elected government has passed the order,” Lone said. “Shame and shamelessness have assumed new meanings in this government. They are setting new standards in servility.”
Lone said this elected government is a party to all acts undertaken. “Be it mailings or termination of employees, they are equal partners. They have been equal partners in the past. And they will be equal partners in the future.”
“This is the A team. This was always the A team,” he added.
PDP leader and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s daughter Iltija Mufti said throughout Kashmir’s history every time the National Conference got a brute majority their first target has always been the Jamaat.
“Be it 1977 or even today where they have taken it too far by jeopardising the future of thousands of students leaving them in distress. The hazy illogical U-turn from NCs Education Minister only exacerbates the crisis. Why not admit what has been their official policy of punishing & outlawing the Jamaat since decades,” Iltija posted on X.
J&K BJP spokesman Altaf Thakur welcomed the government’s decision to assume control of 215 schools run by Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT).
He, however, raised questions over the Education Minister’s “hesitation” in executing the decision.
“Why is the Education Minister dragging her feet in taking over these schools? Is it because she does not want to annoy Jamaat-e-Islami, or is there some other reason?” he asked.
“With the government stepping in, 51,000 children will no longer fall prey to separatist ideology. Instead, they will now have opportunities to excel in academics, sports, technology and other fields, and contribute to the progress of the nation,” Thakur said.
He said education should remain free from any political or ideological influence, and urged the government to move forward without delay in implementing the order across Jammu and Kashmir.
The central government had the religio-socio and political outfit Jamaat-e-Islami in February 2019 a fortnight after the February 14, 2019 suicide attack on CRPF convoy at Lethpora, Pulwama in which 40 paramilitary personnel were killed and many others injured.
The Jamaat has been banned under sub¬section (1) of section (3) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967) and the organization has been declared as an unlawful association.
After the ban, the authorities launched a crackdown against the outfit and detained its leaders and workers. Hundreds of Jamaat workers including its chief were arrested and are lodged in different jails within and outside Kashmir.
