Since 2017, the government of West Bengal has shut down 125 RSS-run schools in the state.They are planning to shut down 370 more such schools. West Bengal’s education minister Partha Chatterjee made the announcement on Wednesday.
It was said that the schools were adopting ‘extreme religious teachings’. The schools weren’t following the curriculum. Investigations were carried out at each school and it was found that the schools were running in the absence of no-objection certificates. The fear was that the schools were too radical. BJP in West Bengal is not pleased, to say the least. The party has filed several petitions against the closure notices. BJP said the students are not only giving lathi training to the students but they’re being trained in Karate as well. Biswapriya Roychowdhury said that none of the schools in West Bengal gives any radical education as compared to the ‘jihadi’ education being taught at madrassas. He also said that defensive training was supposed to be given in all West Bengal schools but they were being ‘kept idle’.
Madrasas are not under my jurisdiction. Some have also been taken into examination for recognition. I do not know the exact position. School will run according to the syllabus. They should not follow any kind of religion: Partha Chatterjee, West Bengal Minister. pic.twitter.com/5TwGUyNUqa
— ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2018
The Trinamool Congress is keeping a close watch on all the schools, ensuring that they are following government norms. Chatterjee said that they would move to Supreme Court if necessary. The government is keeping an eye on 493 other schools. He said that they couldn’t function combine education with blind religionism with it. Chatterjee also said that madrassas were not under his jurisdiction. This move can either be seen as a political clamp down on education or the streamlining of education and a move to prevent radicalism in the state. The matter will proceed where the outcome isn’t determined as of yet.