Jharkhand news: The weekly holiday in around 33 government-run schools in Jharkhand's Dumka district has been changed to Friday from Sunday apparently without any permission from the authorities.
Responding to this matter, the DSE Dumka said that all the schools have Urdu in their names.
"We have written a letter to the BO of the 33 schools advising them to enquire about this matter. All the schools have Urdu in their names," said Sanjay Kumar Das, DSE Dumka.
"It is being investigated how Urdu is tied to these institutions and under what conditions weekly holiday on Friday is offered in government schools. There is no instruction from department to keep schools closed on Friday. After receiving the report, we will start investigation," Das added.
Similar incident reported in Jamtara:
Meanwhile, around 40 schools in Jharkhand's Jamtara district on Wednesday (July 13) gave written undertaking that they will revert to Sundays as weekly off from Fridays, an official said.
These upgraded primary schools were forced to change their weekly offs from Sundays to Fridays during the lockdown, District Education Officer Abhay Shankar told media. The district School Management Committee has been dissolved, and a new committee would be formed soon, he said.
Meanwhile, Congress sought strict action against those involved in forcing the schools to change the weekly off.
In a letter to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, senior Congress leader Ajoy Kumar said stringent action should be taken against anti-social elements behind it.
"As per information, some Muslim youths forced the authorities of two-three schools to change the rule of weekly off from existing Sunday to Friday, claiming that Muslim students in these schools were more than 70 per cent," Kumar said.
"It was then followed by over 50 schools in Jamtara district," he added.
The right to education is above the right to religious practice, said Kumar, a former MP and AICC in charge of several states. He urged the chief minister that the action taken against the schools be made public.
A few days back, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) issued a notice to Garhwa district following allegations that some Islamic radicals forced the headmaster of a government-run school to change an age-old prayer song from "Daya Kar Dan Vidya (Please impart knowledge)" to "Tu Hi Ram Hai Tu Rahim Hai (You are Ram and you are Rahim)".
Children were also being prevented from joining hands during prayers in a middle school at Korwadih village in Sadar block, it was alleged.
Political slugfest in Jharkhand:
Meanwhile, a political slugfest has began over the issue.Several BJP leaders, including former Chief Ministers Babulal Marandi, Raghubar Das, state BJP President Deepak Prakash, and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey have accused the Hemant Soren-led state government of allowing changes in the government rules for appeasement.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA from Jamtara, Irfan Ansari, has said that Friday has been "ear-marked" as holiday according to the convenience of the local people.He accused the BJP of giving unnecessary importance to the matter, and trying to disturb social harmony.
(With agencies inputs)
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