The term enemies of education has never been heard before. In today’s Kashmir, enemies of education are calling the shots. Twenty-Seven schools have been burnt. The losses comprise not only the building material but something richer than that also like libraries, laboratories, office records, birth certificates and much more. Leave alone the trauma which school going boys and girls and teachers go through owing to their nostalgic association with the school building and the activities of which they have been participants. It is not only a sin or a crime; it is an assault on everything that humanity has achieved in the course of long history of evolution of human culture. History will record this sacrilege in dark and dismal words and future generations will hold their breath when they will read these nihilistic activities of their predecessors.
The High Court has taken suo moto note of this horrendous and inhuman act. It has reflected in most poignant words agony and pain on depriving young boys and girls, nay, the entire generation of their fundamental right to education. All religions have taught to realize and acknowledge the value of education in bringing culture, civilization, decency, humanism and prosperity to the mankind. In olden times and in medieval ages people travelled across the lands and climes to quench thirst from the fountains of knowledge. Alas, what is happening in Kashmir valley is almost return to barbaric age. No civilized society will allow this perfidy to happen and no society should tolerate it because it is anti-human and anti-civilization.
We highly appreciate the voluntary action taken by the High Court in directing the State authorities to ensure that no more schools will be burnt. The administration at divisional and district level has been charged with the duty of ensuring safety and security of schools and they have to report within one week about what measures they have taken and how far these have become successful.
Who are the people or “miscreants” and “mysterious” ones in the words of the High Court who are perpetrating this heinous crime against society and against nature? Although the court has not identified any person or group of persons towards whom the finger of accusation could be raised. However, this barbaric act has to be linked to the ongoing unrest in the valley since first week of July last. One may call it an act of desperation. Those who have formed the Sangbaaz Association for hurling stones on the police who are engaged in maintaining law and order in the state, those who have burnt innumerable private and public vehicles, those who have torched other public buildings like court office and banks and other structures, have now turned their sadism towards the schools and that too in rural areas. It has to be noted that it takes years at end for the administration to sanction a school and then from sanction to its actual functioning, there is always a long gap of years. It takes long time for a school to build the infrastructure inch by inch and over time. How sad that it takes a match stick to lit the fire that grows into leaping flames and consumes the entire structure so assiduously built over years. Did those who gave a call for strike as a result of which schools closed down and students denied the facility of education ever think what curse they were bringing to the people and especially to the school going kids and the youth. They never thought of these horrendous consequences. Still more disappointing is the prospect that will unfold in future when instead of a literate generation we will have a full generation of illiterates far removed from education and culture.
Knowledgeable circles believe that there is definitely a method in the madness of those who are perpetrating this crime. It is evident that they do not want the children to be adorned with modern knowledge, the knowledge of science and technology, the knowledge of history and of reason in the prospect of emancipation of mankind. By stonewalling the students from acquiring knowledge in these institutions, they believe that the parents will be forced to send their children to the seminaries where their education will not be restricted only to theology and none of the modern science but will also subject them to brain washing so as to make them the instruments of fundamentalism and jihadism. This thinking smacks of rank medieval conservatism and regress.
The important question is will the Kashmiri society, which is emancipated and forward looking accept this retarded and regressive mindset that has gripped some segments of Kashmiri society. We don’t believe that it will and it should never. This is the time when the liberal and emancipated vast segments of Kashmirian society should step in and confront the anti-social elements. We believe that first onus rests on their shoulders to give the right direction to the society and ensure that our children are not drawn to an age of darkness and barbarism.
Administration has the biggest responsibility of protecting public infrastructure especially the schools and hospitals and the directive of the High Court is clear in this respect. But from our point of view this is a matter in which the rational and saner elements in the civil society are directly involved. It is their responsibility to rise against nihilistic forces and free education from dirty and stinking politics, factional strife and condemnable idiosyncrasies of human nature.
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