The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government has triggered a controversy by directing all schools in the State to observe the birth centenary of Jan Sangh founder leader Deendayal Upadhyaya with programmes that would familiarise primary and secondary students with the life and work of the RSS ideologue.
The Director of Public Instruction (DPI) issued the instruction to the school principals and headmasters by forwarding a circular received from the Union Ministry of Human Resource Department (MHRD). According to government sources, Secretary (General Education) Usha Titus had received the circular issued by the Secretary, MHRD, in July, and sent it across to the DPI, who forwarded it to Deputy Directors of Education (DDEs) in August.
The circular directed the school authorities to conduct competitions such as essay writing, fancy dress and poetry writing to familiarise students with Deendayal Upadhayaya’s life and work. The decision to celebrate the birth centenary was taken by the BJP national executive at its meeting in Kozhikode in September last year. The year-long celebrations drew to a close on September 25.
Kerala Students Union (KSU) activists held a march to the DDE office at Kozhikode in protest against the circular. The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Students Federation of India (SFI) too came out on Tuesday against the circular. In separate statements, the DYFI and SFI secretariats asked the government to conduct an inquiry to find out who was responsible for the government order directing schools to celebrate Upadhyaya and stern action against the persons concerned.
The leadership of the DYFI and SFI pointed out that the decision to celebrate Upadhyaya’s birth centenary did not behove a secular society such as that in Kerala as it formed part of an RSS agenda.