Schools, CBSE pressured kids to light diyas, candles

After PM’s announcement, the CBSE and HRD ministry asked schools to send ‘feedback’ on the number of students who complied with Mr Modi’s appeal to light candles at 9.00 pm

A large number of private schools under the CBSE seemed to have assumed the role of Big Brother to keep watch on whether the students were being compliant with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to light diyas at 9.00 pm on Sunday to “realise the power of light.”

While the schools and private institutions were keeping a hawk’s eye to monitor the students on lighting candles, a lynch mob on social media swung into action by branding people refusing to switch off lights as “deshdrohi” (anti-national).

Following an outrage, the HRD ministry, around 9.15 pm (after the diya lighting ritual was over) issued a clarification claiming that there was “no coercion” and the circular was issued merely to “inform” the students.

After the PM’s announcement, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the human resource development (HRD) ministry asked schools to send “feedback” on the number of students who complied with Mr Modi’s appeal to light candles at 9.00 pm across the country. Mala (Moloyshree Hashmi), wife of noted poet, playwright, and director Safdar Hashmi, questioned the “legality” of the circular issued by the CBSE.

Ms Hashmi also said that “such circulars were bound to send a wrong message to the students as a section was spreading misinformation by saying that the so-called heat emanating from the candles would kill the virus.”

On April 3, HRD secretary Amit Khare issued a circular stating that schools should ask the students to light candles to “realise the power of light and to highlight the objective for which we are all fighting together.”

A livid cultural activist and independent filmmaker, Suhel Hashmi, said that the move reminded him of “Emergency days when the institutions were rendered powerless” and came down heavily on the institutions for their “compliance.”

All India Parents Association (AIPA) president and senior lawyer Ashok Agarwal termed the government circular “unconstitutional” and “anti-educational.”

Mr Agarwal said that “the fundamental duties of the Indian Constitution talk about developing scientific temperament, but it seems the government is more interested in creating an illusionary atmosphere when the world is battling a serious health crisis.”

Swinging into action, the CBSE promptly issued a circular to all schools including the private ones. While none of the teachers of the private or government schools wanted to come on record, they revealed that the school authorities had asked the children to “heed” to the PM’s appeal and “light candles.”

A teacher maintained that the tone and tenor of the circulars issued by some private institutions virtually made it mandatory for the students to light candles.

The circulars issued by schools, CBSE, and MHRD had also asked the students to download the “Arogya Setu app” developed to fight Covid-19.

Speaking to this newspaper, Ms Hashmi claimed that “it was difficult for the institutions to ignore any directives from the CBSE.”

According to her, “questions must be put to CBSE on whether the board was legally allowed to send such notifications.”