New Delhi: More than 300 educational institutions run by Falah-e-Aam Trust, an affiliate of banned Jamaat-e-Islami, have been stopped from operating by the Jammu and Kashmir School education department, officials announced on Tuesday, June 14.
An order was passed by School Education Secretary B.K. Singh on Monday directing cessation of academic activities in FAT-affiliated schools.
“…The Jammu and Kashmir government had banned the Falah-e-Aam Trust on May 11, 1990, and also vide communication dated 23-10-2019. All the students currently studying in these banned institutions shall admit themselves to nearby government schools for current academic session. All CEOs/Principals/ZEOs shall facilitate the admission of these students,” the government order says, according to a report by Indian Express.
The report notes that Section 3 of the Jammu and Kashmir Criminal Law Amendment Act-1983, states that a ban remains in force only for two years. The Unlawful Activities Act, 1967, says that such a ban remains in force for no longer than five years.
The government order also asked chief education officers of various districts to seal the institutions within 15 days in consultation with the district administration.
The order also said that all the students studying in these banned institutions shall admit themselves to nearby government schools for the current session. As many as 11,000 students are enrolled in such schools, reports say.
The order has asked chief education officers, principals and zonal education officers to facilitate the admission of these students.
“No new admissions shall be taken in these banned FAT institutions,” the order said and further directed the chief and zonal education officers to widely publicise about these unrecognised institutions.
However, the report by Indian Express highlights that the government order, however, is not clear on whether the schools directly run by the Trust have been barred or all the schools that once used to be affiliated with the Trust.
The order comes in the backdrop of investigations done by the State Investigation Agency (SIA) of Jammu and Kashmir Police which alleged “gross illegalities, outright frauds, mass scale encroachment of government lands by FAT.”
This article first appeared on thewire.in