Kota: A day after a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) team was chased away by locals when it went to inspect a government school in Jaipur alleging it was being run in a buffalo shed, a teachers’ body Saturday said that educational institutions in Rajasthan won’t be allowed to become pitches of political conflict.
The Akhil Bharatiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh (ABRSM), however, claimed that it is not defending the government and only raising its voice against politicising school grounds for political motives.
Taking a firm stance against political intrusion and exploitation of educators following the incident in Jaipur, the teachers’ federation said any member of the public can visit a school only after obtaining formal permission from the institution head, adding that using administrative orders as political leverage or pressuring educators is unacceptable.
Friday, when the CJP team reached Rampura Kanwarpura village to inspect the condition of the school, a confrontation broke out with locals, whom the CJP accused of being BJP goons.
A day later, the CJP and the villagers lodged FIRs and counter-FIRs, accusing one another of assault and creating a ruckus.
Addressing a press conference here, ABRSM state vice president Puranmal Nagar noted that the attempted inspection by external political workers triggered sharp opposition from local villagers, escalating into verbal altercations and physical scuffles. While reiterating that the federation does not condone violence under any circumstances, Nagar questioned the rationale behind dragging school premises into biased disputes.
He emphasised that any legitimate concerns regarding school facilities or administrative shortcomings should be routed through designated official channels within the education department and state administration.
Navalkishore Sharma, vice president of ABRSM’s primary education wing, said the state government and education department are undertaking phased reforms to improve school infrastructure.
He stated that while any member of the public can visit a school after obtaining formal permission from the institution head, using administrative orders as political leverage or pressuring educators is unacceptable.
Teachers exist to shape the future of students, not to advance the agenda of any political organisation, Sharma asserted.
SureshKumar Bairagi of ABRSM’s state media cell appealed to teachers, parents, villagers, and public representatives to maintain peace and resolve disputes through proper legal and administrative means. He highlighted that ABRSM-associated teacher activists across 10,000 government schools in Rajasthan are actively working on the ground to enhance physical and educational resources.
Responding to queries, Bairagi clarified that ABRSM regularly identifies gaps in study and infrastructure facilities and submits representations to the government for timely resolution.
ABRSM is not here to defend the government or the minister, but to raise its voice against politicising school grounds for political motives, Bairagi said, adding that the recent order restricting the entry of outsiders into school premises applies to the media as well.