ISLAMABAD
In a brutal crackdown on the education sector in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Indian authorities have forcibly taken control of 215 schools operated by Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and its affiliate, the Falah-i-Aam Trust (FAT).
According to Kashmir Media Service, these schools, scattered across ten districts of the Kashmir Valley, include some of the most longstanding community-run institutions, renowned for offering both Islamic and modern education.
For decades, these schools have been instrumental in elevating literacy rates and providing accessible education to both rural and urban populations in Kashmir. The order in this regard was issued by IIOJK School Education Department Secretary Ram Niwas Paswan with reference to the notifications issued by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs.It cites “adverse reports by intelligence agencies” and expiry of the schools’ management committees as the basis for the takeover.
Deputy Commissioners and District Magistrates across the Kashmir Valley have been directed to immediately assume control of the institutions, with fresh committees to be constituted after “proper verification”. The crackdown comes in the backdrop of the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs’ 2019 ban on Jamaat-e-Islami under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), a ban extended further in 2024.
The affected institution include 53 in Baramulla, 37 in Islamabad, 36 in Kupwara, 22 in Pulwama, 20 in Budgam, 16 in Kulgam, 15 in Shopian, six in Bandipora, six in Ganderbal, and four schools in Srinagar. After Jamaat’s ban in 2019, these schools had faced repeated scrutiny, with many barred from admitting new students since 2022, resulting in shrinking enrollments and mounting uncertainty about their future.
Parents, teachers, and alumni have raised serious alarms over the abrupt takeover, warning that it could severely disrupt academic progress and jeopardize the futures of thousands of students.
Critics argue that this move is part of a larger, calculated strategy by the BJP-led Indian government to undermine institutions linked to Kashmiri Muslims, disguised under the veil of security concerns.
