Tripura CPM slams edu dept over seminars on cows in schools, calls it RSS ploy
A letter written by education department said School Management Committees would be responsible for evaluating relevance and feasibility of such programmes
AGARTALA: A letter by Tripura’s Education Department about organising workshops or seminars in schools on benefits of cows and their products sparked a controversy in the state with the opposition CPI(M) claiming that it was a ploy of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to indoctrinate students.
The letter written by education department director Nripendra Chandra Sharma to all the eight district education officers on April 15, mentioned about Deshi Gobansha Rakshan Sambardhan Samity who wished to conduct workshops or seminars in schools to create awareness about benefits of cows and their products.
“....a copy of the representation received from the Secretary, Deshi Gobansha Rakshan Sambardhan Samity, Agartala, West Tripura, expressing their intent to organise workshops or seminars in schools to promote awareness and disseminate knowledge about the benefits of cows and their products. In this regard, you are requested to communicate to the Principals/Headmasters/Headmistresses/ TICs of High and Higher Secondary Schools under your jurisdiction that the scope for such programmes, if deemed appropriate, may be considered strictly at the discretion of the School Management Committees ( SMCs) of the concerned schools”, said the letter signed by the director .
The director said that the department concerned would not provide any financial assistance to the organising agency for conducting such programmes while the SMCs would be responsible for evaluating relevance and feasibility of such programmes in their respective schools.
The letter also said that such programmes, if allowed to be conducted, should not disrupt the normal teaching-learning process of the schools.
In a sharp reaction to the letter, CPI(M) state secretary Jitendra Chaudhury claimed that the organisation might be a branch of RSS and said that the initiative is to brainwash the students with the ideologies of the RSS.
“ I was shocked after seeing the letter. The state’s entire education system from primary level to higher level is crumbling due to crisis of teachers, and it is reflected in board results. The number of students in Madhyamik and Higher Secondary level is declining every year. Without focusing on these issues, they are organising such programmes,” said Chaudhury.
