‘Jai Hind’, not ‘good morning’, to be Haryana school greeting from August 15

The ‘good morning’ greeting will be done away with in Haryana’s government as well as private schools from August 15, the Independence Day. The official morning greeting will be replaced by ‘Jai Hind’, a slogan popularised by legendary freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose during India’s struggle for independence.

The directorate of school education on Thursday issued a circular in this connection, pointing out that the change aims to instill a sense of patriotism and national pride among students. “By adopting ‘Jai Hind’ as a greeting, we want our students to remember the soldiers guarding our borders. By honouring soldiers, our students will naturally become more disciplined. ‘Jai Hind’ will spark the flames of patriotism,” Haryana education minister Seema Trikha, who had recently floated the idea of dropping ‘good morning’, told Hindustan Times.

“We need to change our perspective. Students must be moulded keeping in view their future role in the nation building. I believe that at least all the government employees should also start saying ‘Jai Hind’ instead of other salutations, similar to our armed forces.”

The two- page circular of the department of education particularly emphasises nurturing a strong sense of national identity among students, reinforcing values of national unity, patriotism and respect for India’s rich heritage in the daily lives of young learners.

The initiative, says the circular, is expected to promote patriotism and encourage youth to learn about the sacrifices made by those who fought for the nation’s independence.

The circular also highlights the significance of ‘Jai Hind’ in fostering unity among students from diverse backgrounds, promoting discipline and inspiring respect for cultural heritage.

It draws attention to the fact that this greeting is already used by the armed forces, symbolising their commitment to the nation’s sovereignty and security.

“The regular use of ‘Jai Hind’ as a greeting will instil a sense of discipline and unity among students, reflecting the ethos of our armed forces,” an education official added.

Schools will implement this directive by August 15, with the directive being communicated to all educational institutions well before the Independence Day celebrations. The decision has been widely approved with educators and parents alike welcoming the initiative.

“This is a meaningful way to engage young minds with the nation’s legacy and values. This salutation encourages behaviour akin to our soldiers, while instilling patriotism and nationalism,” said Satpal Sindhu, state president of the Haryana school lecturer association.