The Human Resource Ministry has made its distrust towards Jawaharlal Nehru University quite clear.
To eliminate all scope of “anti-national” elements triggering further anti-national sentiments in the campus, the ministry and the University Grants Commission have jointly sent a notice to the university to host a wide range of patriotic events to instil a sense of patriotism in students on India’s 69th Independence Day.
Breaking the usual tradition of the one day celebration on 15 August, for the first time a fortnight long celebration will be held from 9 to 23 August, which will include a fancy dress competition, singing competition, ‘freedom run’ and many more events
All these events will “culminate in a mass recitation of the national anthem by all students at 11 am on 23 August, Indian Express quoted Dean of students Rana P Singh as saying.
The same directive was also sent to schools with a detailed suggestion of activities for the students between 9 August and 23 August.
Read the notice below:
But this is certainly not the only initiative the government has taken in its patriotic drive.
After President of JNUSU, Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on charges of sedition along with Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, Smriti Irani, the then HRD minister had directed all central universities to hoist a flag.
As per its decision, the flag would have to weigh 125 kg and be hoisted on a 207 feet tall mast in a bid to silence dissent from students who have been criticising the BJP-led central government on their treatment of Dalits in institutions and violence in Kashmir.
Patriotism has been a massive obsession with this government. Earlier on 11 August, in a discussion of the issue of discrimination against Dalits, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had noted that despite facing horrible atrocities at the hands of cow vigilantes, “nobody would dare to call Dalits anti-national as they had never demanded a separate state.”
(Source: The Indian Express)
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