From now on, instead of the customary ‘yes sir’ or ‘present sir’, students in Gujarat’s schools will respond to the roll call with ‘Jai Hind’ or ‘Jai Bharat. The latest diktat, which became effective from Jan 1, 2019, has been issued in order ‘to foster patriotism’ among students from an early age.
The notification issued by Gujarat government lays down that students of Class 1 to 12 in both government-funded and private schools will have to respond to the attendance call with “Jai Hind” or “Jai Bharat,” starting January 1, PTI reported.
The decision was taken by the state Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama in a review meeting held Monday. He said, “What’s wrong in it? We have decided on it and the order will be implemented from today.”
Speaking to Times of India, Chudasma said that during his school days, it was compulsory for students to confirm attendance by saying ‘Jai Hind’ or ‘Jai Bharat’. The practise was later discontinued.
The minister believes if a student says replaces their current yes sirs with with Jai Hind or Jai Bharat, it will definitely infuse sentiments of patriotism among them._The Opposition has criticised the move saying it will “not change the quality of education”, and that the government should have focused on improving the “deteriorating quality of education” instead.
The nationalism part may bode well for the BJP-led Gujarat government. But when the state education system was surveyed last year by the state government to assess the learning levels of primary school students, it revealed that 30% of students studying in classes 6,7 and 8 at government schools cannot read and write basic simple sentences in Gujarati and English or perform basic arithmetic like addition, subtraction etc.
“Of the estimated 21 lakh students surveyed in classes 6-8, nearly 6 lakh students cannot read, write or do basic arithmetic,” The Times of India reported.
The state government’s decision drew mixed response on micro-blogging site Twitter with a section of Tweeples welcoming the move while others called it yet another case of enforced nationalism.
_ are Gujaratis not very patriotic that they are so insecure and had to resort to this?!?
— manka (@indosecular) January 1, 2019
Patriotism does not come by saying Jai Bharat, Jai hind in reply to roll call. It comes by accepting n loving your country n by doing good for it n learning abt it .
— Inderdeep Khurana (@InderdeepK) January 1, 2019
wonder…how people think of such innovative ideas to instill patriotism.
If these innovative brains are aligned in right direction India would have been far ahead of times— Rizwan ali (@rizwan_ali25) December 31, 2018
When nationalism is about to transform into fascism.
— Monika Chokwala (@MonikaChokwala) January 1, 2019
Let it be come from the #heart of the children , not by forcing them..
— K A. Jagadeesh (@are_gow) December 31, 2018
While there were some who welcomed the decision
I think it is a great move by the Guj govt
— Sridhar Samu (@sridhar_samu) January 1, 2019
There is nothing divisive or communal about this. One may disagree with complicating a normal yes sir type response but please do not put a saffron tang on it
— bwv1044 (@ravir1208) January 1, 2019
No need to sensationalize it. Years ago we said “Jai Bharat” for attendance & addressing letters in the schools. It was very common and kids genuinely mean it, they don’t see it in a political way. Yes Sir/Present Mam has replaced our true culture and this could be a right step.
— Krunal Jobanputra (@krunal_jobs) December 31, 2018
