Press Statement
The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:
The directive/instruction issued by the Modi government asking all schools of the country to ensure that the students hear the Prime Minister’s address on September 5 – the Teachers Day – is unprecedented. Such an instruction has never been issued in independent India even for the mandatory Addresses to the Nation by the Hon’ble President and the Prime Minister. Such an instruction is also never given for the Prime Minister’s Independence Day Address from the Red Fort. Clearly, the RSS/BJP seek to use this occasion for the indoctrination of the young minds, instead of them being exposed to all ideas and, thus, preparing them to make informed choices in their lives.
The HRD Minister has subsequently clarified that such an instruction is not compulsory for the schools to follow. However, it nevertheless pressurizes the school administration and Principals’ to follow. This is so because most schools in the country are either government schools or government subsidized `aided schools’.
Though education was placed under the Concurrent list in 1976 during the internal emergency the responsibility for primary education remains with the states. Some state governments have therefore already conveyed their objection as this is violative of the federal structure.
The Teachers Day is annually observed, to honour the best of teachers, on the birthday of one of India’s illustrious philosophers and educationists, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan who served both as the President and Vice President of India in the formative years of our Republic.
The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) strongly protests against such an unprecedented directive/instruction and demands that the Modi government immediately rescind this.