(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Srinagar- Political parties in Kashmir on Saturday reacted sharply to the J&K government's takeover of the management of the 215 schools affiliated with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and its Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT).

Peoples' Conference chief and MLA Handwara Sajad Lone said,“Shame and shamelessness have assumed new meanings in this government.”

“215 schools forcibly taken over by the J and K Government. And no prizes for guessing. The elected government has passed the order. Shame and shamelessness have assumed new meanings in this government.

“They are setting new standards in servility. And just to recall the sermons the edicts that this party passed against their opponents,” Lone said in a post on X.

He asked the people to be“under no illusions” as the elected government“is a party to all acts undertaken”.

Read Also J&K Govt Takes Over Schools Linked To JeI Amid Tight Security J&K Govt Begins Process Of Taking Over 215 Jama'at Linked Schools

“Be it mailings or termination of employees, they are equal partners. They have been equal partners in the past. And they will be equal partners in the future. This is the A team. This was always the A team,” Lone said, referring to the name-calling of his party by the National Conference (NC) during the assembly elections.

Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) president and 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.”

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

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.

PDP leader Iltija Mufti said JeI has always been the first target of the NC when in power.

“Throughout Kashmir's history every time the National Conference got a brute majority their first target has always been the Jamaat. Be it 1977 or even today where they have taken it too far by jeopardising the future of thousands of students leaving them in distress,” Mufti said on X.

Referring to the clarification by Education Minister Sakina Itoo that the original order did not mention takeover by deputy commissioners but said that the principals of the nearest higher secondary schools would look after them, the PDP leader stated the“hazy illogical U-turn” from the minister“only exacerbates the crisis.”

“Why not admit what has been their official policy of punishing & outlawing the Jamaat since decades?” she asked.

Another PDP leader, Waheed Para said one of the major successes of the Centre post-abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 was integrating JeI into the electoral process.

“This milestone, which could not be achieved through arrests or encounters, was realised during the 2024 elections when the Ameer of Jamaat and JeI members actively fielded candidates.

“This marked a significant step toward transforming and reintegrating a segment of the population that had been exploited by anti-India groups due to decades-long hostility stemming from 1987 onward,” the Pulwama MLA said on X.

“What force could not accomplish, the democratic process and participation successfully achieved,” he said.

However, he said the recent moves like book bans and school takeovers appear to be“knee-jerk reactions” rather than well-thought-out strategies.

“These actions suppress JeI-aligned individuals and close doors for those seeking to emerge from the turmoil of the past two decades. The GOI must provide space, uphold constitutional guarantees, and foster the democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir - the only weapon yet to be fully tested in this region,” Para added.

Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari criticized the government's decision.

In his statement, Bukhari noted that although Jamaat-e-Islami has been banned since 2019, previous administrations did not take control of the FAT schools. He said the current government's action, despite having a public mandate, could have been avoided by opting for regulatory oversight instead of direct intervention.

He acknowledged that there may be political and ideological differences with Jamaat-e-Islami but maintained that FAT schools have had a consistent presence in the region's education sector. He said the government's decision could impact students and the broader education system.

Bukhari also pointed to previous actions against FAT schools, stating that a ban was first announced in 1990 when Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was Union Home Minister, but courts had stayed that order. He added that while a fresh ban was announced in 2019, the present government has acted to implement it after six years.

He called on the government to reverse its decision and consider setting up a regulatory authority to ensure that the schools operate within the framework of existing laws and regulations, without being taken over.

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