By Jehangir Ali
Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government on Saturday (April 17) took over 58 more private schools allegedly affiliated with the proscribed Jamaat-e-Islami outfit, bringing the total number of such schools to nearly 300.
The order, reportedly issued by the secretary of J&K’s school education department, references two notifications issued by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (invoking the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967) under which Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) was declared as an unlawful association in 2019.
The department has directed the deputy commissioners (DCs) to ensure that the academic activities of the schools in their respective districts remain uninterrupted. The DCs have also been ordered to submit proposals for new managing committees, with all prospective members required to obtain prior police clearance.
“DC shall also take all necessary measures to ensure quality education as per NEP (National Education Policy 2020) norms in these schools,” the order reads.
A video circulating on social media showed a group of armed policemen, some carrying automatic rifles, laying siege to Evershine Public School in the Kultura area of north Kashmir’s Langate on Saturday amid heavy rains.
The video shows a policeman waving at the cameraman to turn the device away while some men in civilian clothes, apparently staff members and education department officials, are also seen in the video outside the school.
The Wire couldn’t independently verify the authenticity of the video immediately.
According to reports, the managing committees of these 58 schools, many of which are located in north Kashmir, had either ceased to exist after completing their tenure or their members were adversely flagged in reports by “intelligence agencies”.
Before it was banned in 2019, the Jamaat operated an extensive network of around 350 schools in Jammu and Kashmir through its educational arm, the Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT), enrolling around one lakh students.
In its constitution, the FAT, which was set up by the Jamaat in 1972, describes itself as a “non-political” body meant for educating “students from all shades of society without any discrimination”.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.
