Srinagar, Aug 23 : Former Chief Minister and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday criticized the government’s recent action against Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT) institutions, saying it was an “attack on Jammu and Kashmir’s educational system and cultural identity.”
According to KNS, Mehbooba said the takeover of nearly 215 FAT-run schools was “deeply unfortunate” as these institutions had maintained a rare balance between modern and Islamic education. “There are very few schools which provide regular education along with Islamic teachings. You cannot name any other school where such a balance is maintained. Thousands of students, teachers and families are connected with these institutions,” she said.
PDP chief recalled that similar crackdowns were earlier carried out against Jamaat-e-Islami and its assets. “I had hoped that an elected government in place would stop such assaults on our institutions and culture. Instead, the present dispensation has only facilitated them,” she remarked.
Mehbooba alleged that even Kashmiri language, literature and icons were being erased from curriculum. “Our Urdu is being pushed out of offices, while figures like Sheikh-ul-Alam, Allama Iqbal and Agha Shahid are being sidelined from our syllabus,” she said, accusing the government of remaining “complicit and silent.
PDP president also drew a comparison with her tenure, asserting that despite pressure from New Delhi during the 2016 unrest, she had resisted banning Jamaat-e-Islami or seizing its assets without evidence. “Only because of ideology, some people complained in Delhi, and today those very actions are being carried out. Back then, I refused to unleash such measures on my own people,” she said.
Lamenting the role of the ruling National Conference, Mehbooba said it was “regrettable” that despite having a majority in the Assembly, the party was allowing such decisions to go unchecked. “People believed that voting for one party could stop the storm coming from the Centre. But the reality is before us today,” she added.
PDP chief maintained that FAT schools had played a vital role in filling gaps left by government schools, especially for poor children. “These schools charged minimal fees and supported thousands of households. Now, with this system dismantled, the future of many teachers and families stands at risk,” she said.(KNS)
