Bengal tells schools to ignore Centre’s I-Day ‘patriotic mood’ diktat

Centre says Bengal govt’s decision to desist from circular ‘unfortunate’ Letter requests states to publicise events to be held between August 9 and 30 to create a mass fervour

The Central government has asked states to organise events in schools towards creating a “patriotic mood” and a “mass fervour” to help realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘New India’ vision ahead of the Independence Day.

However, chief minister Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government’s instruction to its schools to desist from following the Centre’s circular has been termed as “unfortunate” by the human resources development (HRD) minister Prakash Javadekar.

Mr Javadekar said the instructions, such as administering of the PM’s ‘Sankalp Siddhi’ oath or commemorating the martyrs of the freedom struggle, or “various wars/terrorist actions”, are not binding on the schools and were part of a “secular agenda”.

In a letter to the state governments, the HRD ministry said: “This momentous occasion should be celebrated with an objective to create a festive and patriotic mood across the nation and a movement is created to involve every citizen of this country in the mission of realising the vision of a new India, which is clean and free from poverty, corruption, terrorism, communalism and casteism.”

The letter by the joint secretary in the HRD ministry, Maneesh Garg, also requested the states to publicise the events to be held between August 9 and 30 to help create a mass fervour. It added that apart from administering oath, the schools, including those affiliated to the CBSE, may be asked to organise quiz competitions on the struggle for Independence and the country’s development and painting competitions on the same theme. The quiz can be downloaded from the Narendra Modi App or the government’s official portal, it said.

Mr Javadekar shared a copy of the memo issued by the state project director of the West Bengal Sarva Shiksha Mission, which says it has been decided by the school education department that Independence Day will not be celebrated in line with the Centre’s circular. “The language used in the West Bengal government’s memo is strange and unfortunate.”