Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 25: Chowdry Mohammad Ramzan has strongly condemned the opposition for spreading lies and creating deliberate confusion over the issue of FAT schools.
He said that the uproar being generated is nothing but an attempt to mislead the people for political gains. “The challenges we are facing today are not born overnight, they are the legacy of their reckless politics and short-sighted decisions,” he said, in a statement issued here today.
Ch Ramzan reminded that Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and its institutions have faced restrictions and bans at different times in history. “The truth is that during the Emergency (25 June 1975 – 21 March 1977), imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, several organizations were banned, not just Jamaat-e- to neutralize entities deemed disruptive during a volatile period in Indian history. Amid this turbulence, Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah showed profound foresight by proposing the renaming of Jamaat-run schools under the Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT). This timely and visionary intervention ensured that the studies of innocent students were not jeopardized and their future remained safeguarded,” he said.
“Later, in 1990, under the Home Ministership of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Jamaat-e-Islami was once again banned for five years, following a surge in militancy and its alleged role in promoting secession and recruiting local youth. Properties of the organization were sealed, and its activities were thoroughly monitored by security agencies,” he added and further clarified that Jamaat-e-Islami was formally declared an unlawful association under UAPA in 2019 and the ban was extended in 2024.
Despite this, he said, schools have not been closed, nor has the education of children been affected. “The decision recently taken is purely administrative, aimed at protecting students’ interests. Since the management of these institutions had already expired and accountability had lapsed, and in light of agencies’ concerns about misuse, the Government decided that local government higher secondary school principals will temporarily oversee these schools,” he added.
Chowdry Ramzan emphasized that no student or teacher will suffer from this arrangement, instead, it guarantees continuity and safeguards the future of more than 50,000 students enrolled in these schools. He noted that the Education Minister has already clarified the matter, dispelling all doubts.
He accused the opposition of intentionally twisting facts and exploiting a sensitive issue for political mileage.
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