New Delhi: In an attempt to “instil pride in our national identity”, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has made the recital of the national anthem mandatory for teachers and students during morning assemblies across all the schools of the union territory.
The latest directive is likely to revive the debate of “enforced nationalism” under the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government in the country’s only Muslim-majority region, where the national anthem has often been a source of controversy in the past.
A list of new guidelines for the conduct of morning assemblies in Jammu and Kashmir’s schools was issued in a circular by the principal secretary in school education department, Alok Kumar, on Wednesday (June 12). A copy of the circular has been seen by The Wire.
As per the new guidelines, the duration of the morning assembly should not be more than 20 minutes. Further, the circular stated that the morning assemblies “serve as platforms to nurture the values of moral integrity, shared community, and mental tranquility” in the students but “such significant ritual/tradition is not being carried out uniformly” in the schools of Jammu and Kashmir.
To bring uniformity in the conduct of morning assemblies, the department has directed all the schools to begin the morning assembly with the recital of the national anthem “as per standard protocol” followed by a talk on “great personalities/freedom fighters” by students and teachers.
The new guidelines have also directed the schools to include motivational speeches in the morning assemblies in order to “inspire students and set a positive tone for the day”. The circular has also called for organising “character education” programmes on “honesty, respect, responsibility, duty, citizenship and constitutional values”.
The circular has urged the schools falling under its ambit to introduce “theme for the week or month, such as kindness, diversity, or environmental awareness” in the morning assembly besides making announcements about the students’ academic, athletic or extracurricular achievements.
From ‘creative performances’ to mental health and wellbeing programmes to mindfulness exercises
Under the guideline of ‘creative performances’, all the schools have been directed to organise musical, dance or drama performances by students during the morning assembly, which is likely to generate more heat in Jammu and Kashmir since both music and dance are deemed as ‘haram’ (forbidden) in Islam.
According to the circular, all the schools have been ordered to provide tips to the students on “staying safe, inculcating mental strength to navigate the problems of adolescence and leading stress-free life style” by organising mental health and well-being programmes on stress management in the morning assemblies.
The new guidelines have also ordered schools in Jammu and Kashmir to organise programmes about “different cultures, holidays or historical events” for the students to learn about and celebrate.
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The schools have also been directed to invite skill trainers from civil society, including “parents, authors, community leaders or experts” to deliver talks. The circular has also called for sharing information with the students about community service initiatives.
According to the new guidelines, the schools have been asked to include programmes on educational trivia, guided mindfulness exercises, tips for sustainability, recycling initiatives or discussions on environmental issues, information about career paths, college preparation and future opportunities, drugs menace and others.
“Tackling the drug menace through a multifaceted approach involving education, prevention, treaiment, and addressing underlying social and economic factors through efforts and collaboration at various levels. Special emphasis needs to be given on sensitising the students about the deleterious effects of Narcotics drugs and psychotropic substances on mental and physical wellbeing which, in turn, has an indelible adverse impact on the society,” the circular noted.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration, which is run by the Union government since 2018, said that the new guidelines are aimed “to maintain uniformity” in the morning assemblies across all the schools of Jammu and Kashmir and they will “inculcate leadership qualities and upgrade the skills of the students”.
The new guidelines will promote “discipline and unity” among the students, the circular noted.
Detentions, controversies and national anthem
Last year, the Jammu and Kashmir administration had detained about a dozen cyclists and others at Srinagar’s central jail on June 25 for allegedly failing to stand up for the national anthem at a ‘pedal for peace’ cycling event which was attended by lieutenant governor Sinha. Some policemen were also reportedly suspended for negligence.
In 2021, the Islamic University of Science and Technology triggered a row by directing all the students to stand up for the national anthem during its first convocation or else “sit at home”. The then chairman of University Grants Commission D.P. Singh was the chief guest while Sinha, who is also chancellor of the university, also attended the convocation.
