Raising ‘Ghar Ghar Tiranga, Har Ghar Tiranga’ slogans, hundreds of school kids from private as well as Government schools took out a rally in south Kashmir’s Anantnag town under the directions of the Education department Anantnag.
Marching the streets of the busy south Kashmir town holding tri-color, several teachers were seen accompanying the students during the rally that commenced at 1100 AM. Most of the schools located in the peripheries of Anantnag town foot marched into the heart of the main town Anantnag, which was once seen as a hub of protests.
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In View of the completion in Run Up to the Independence Celebrations on the 15th of August 2022, a part of Azadi Ka Maha Utsav, this office is going to organize a Rally of students under the Slogan Har GHAR TIRANGA. The rally will start from HSS Khanabal at 11.00 am sharp on 06.08.2022. As such Heads of Below mentioned schools are hereby requested to depute 20 students each along with one Escort Teacher to HSS Khanabal at 10. Am sharp. on the above-mentioned date. However all precautions regarding Covid 19 Pandemic need to be observed during the Rally,” the official order accessed by The Kashmiriyat read.
The order from the Chief Education officer was issued to ten schools in the District.
Education Department in Anantnag has also issued another order vide No:- Edu/SPD/Sms/Plg/Circular-19/2022-23 and asking teachers/ students to make ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ Campaign under “Azadi Ka Mahotsav” Celebrations in the district a success.
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A district-level committee comprising several officials from the south Kashmir district has been constituted to make the programme a success.
The committee has been asked to “ensure” that the nationwide campaign for celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and Independence Day celebrations week from 13th to 15th of August, 2022 be extended to all the educational Institutions of the District and people need to be encouraged for the campaign.
“In this context as directed by the Directorate of Samagra Shiksha, the district level committee shall adhere to the following instructions: “Nodal Officer” will monitor and act as a leading member for organizing the events in their respective Districts under the supervision of Concerned CEO,” the order read.
Besides this, Plan of action needs to be shared with the Directorate of Samagra Shiksha J&K.
The CEO has also directed the Zonal Education Officer (All) to extend full cooperation to the Committee, for successful conduct of events, besides sharing the plan of action with the Nodal Officer. “Awareness shall be imparted at different levels I.e. District Level, Zonal/Block Level, Panchayat Level, through DEPO/ Principals/ZEO (s)/ Cluster Heads, besides I/C Hols In their catering area of Institution. 4. The students and Teachers shall be involved for imparting awareness among the people in the villages through rallies and posters,” the order read.
Colourful Programmes/Cultural Items at prominent places, may also be organized to encourage the public as well and the Nodal Officer shall also ensure organizing “Prabhat Pheris”, wherever possible, between August 11-15, 2022. All precautions against Covid-19 pandemic need to be observed during this programme, the direction from the CEO read.
The direction further asked the Nodal officers from the committee to ensure that every school “may” participate by hoisting the national flag on the said dates and to aware all the Students, Teachers and Non-teaching Staff about the Campaign/Programme.
That they all (Students, Teachers and Non-Teaching Staff) will hoist the Flag at their homes, School Buildings, besides encouraging others for the same in their peripheral areas, the order read.
“All officers/officials of the School Education department, shall encourage their neighbours to hoist the national flags at their homes and to emphasize that there should not be any house uncovered and 100% Saturation is to be achieved. A control room has been established in this Office for daily monitoring and updation regarding the activities, to be performed under this campaign,” the order directed the Nodal officers.
In the order accessed by The Kashmiriyat, the CEO asked all Zonal Education Officers to furnish the Progress through E-mail and furnish the detailed report in the form of Magazine/News Letter, by or before 15th of August, 2022 for its onward Chief Education Officer, Anantnag.
Earlier the former Chief Minister of Jammu Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti shared a video from Bijbehara Anantnag in which a Government employee was seen asking the shopkeepers to pay rupees twenty for the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign launched by the Government of India to celebrate 75 years of India’s Independence from the British rule. “The manner in which J&K admin is forcing students, shopkeepers & employees to pay for national flag to hoist it is as if Kashmir is an enemy territory that needs to be captured. Patriotism comes naturally & can’t be imposed,” Mehbooba Mufti wrote on her Twitter.
The employee was later placed under suspension.
Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah also condemned what they said called “forcible” patriotism.
The Kashmiriyat reported that Jammu Kashmir Education Department in Anantnag had issued an order asking the students of Higher Secondaries in the district to pay Rs 20 for the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign. The widely critisized order was later witdrawn.
However, the Jammu Kashmir admin has denied the reports of any force behind the campaign. Div com Kashmir, PK Pole said that the campaign is voluntary. “Nobody is being pressurized or insisted to be a part of the campaign. It is a voluntary campaign to instill patriotism in common masses,” he had said.