J&K: 300 schools face closure due to affiliation with Jamaat-e-Islami
What's the story
With the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) administration cracking down on private schools allegedly run by Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT) affiliated with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami group, thousands of students are staring at an uncertain future. On Monday, J&K's school education secretary directed nearly 300 schools to stop academic activities and seal the institutions within 15 days. It also asked students to get admitted to government schools.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The J&K Police's State Investigation Agency (SIA) accused FAT of gross illegalities, frauds, and encroachment of government lands. Jamat-e-Islami (JeI) is a radical outfit proscribed by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The order comes in the backdrop of the SIA's investigations and a majority of these schools are allegedly built on illegally occupied government land.
Publicity
No new admissions in these institutes
An order by the School Education Secretary, BK Singh, directed chief education officers, principals, and zonal education officers to facilitate the admission of students from these banned schools for the current session. The order further mentioned that no new admissions would be made in these banned FAT institutions. The order also asked officials to publicize these unrecognized institutions.
In denial
FAT says only seven schools affiliated with trust
The SIA alleged that the JeI was involved in civilian unrest in J&K in 2008, 2010, and 2016 and also taught Jihadi literature. Meanwhile, denying the allegations, the FAT said it followed the government-approved syllabus and all the guidelines and wasn't involved "in any subversive or separatist activity." FAT director Showkat Ahmad Var said that only seven schools were directly affiliated with the trust.
Crackdown
BJP welcomes decision, others term it discriminatory
Welcoming the decision, the spokesperson for the J&K Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ranbir Singh Panthania said that nearly 50,000 students studied in 300 FAT-affiliated schools. Meanwhile, J&K People's Conference leader Sajad Lone termed the decision discriminatory and said that the selective crackdown "on institutions which have religious affiliations is grossly unfair and unjust" in a place with a majority of the Muslim population.