Taking cognisance of media reports about as many as 500 government schools in Muslim-dominated districts in the state observing Friday as weekly offs, Bihar education minister and JD (U) leader Vijay Kumar Choudhary has asked district education officers to submit a detailed list of schools which are following this practice.
“As we learnt about it, we have asked these four districts to submit a report,” said the JD(U) minister.
On July 26, OpIndia reported that more than 500 government schools in Bihar’s Seemanchal area, which has a sizable Muslim population, have been observing Friday as their weekly off instead of Sunday, despite no official mandate to that effect. This practice has been followed for years, by the schools located in the eastern part of Bihar including districts of Kishanganj, Araria, Katihar, and Purnia.
According to the 2011 Census, the eastern part of Bihar has a Muslim population varying from 30 per cent to 70 per cent. The Jokihat block of the Araria district houses most of these schools, with 229 out of 244 government schools having their weekly break on Friday.
We reported how the Bihar Education Minister had earlier claimed ignorance when questioned about this long-standing practice followed by many government schools in Bihar’s Muslim-dominated regions. “Once we receive formal notice from the district involved, we’ll respond by the applicable procedures,” the JD(U) leader had said.
In fact, when asked about this old practice in Bihar, the party’s parliamentary board president Upendra Kushwaha called it a “non-issue” and alleged some people are unnecessarily spoiling the cordial atmosphere in the state.
In a Twitter post in Hindi, he said, “Is weekly holiday provision in Urdu schools a real issue and an attempt to create an unnecessary controversy? Those who object to a Friday holiday in Urdu schools should know that Sanskrit universities also declare a day off on Pratipada and Ashtami every month.” He posted a holiday calendar of the Kameshwar Singh Darbhanga Sanskrit University for reference.
उर्दू विद्यालयों में छुट्टी: वाकई जरुरी मुद्दा है या अनावश्यक विवाद बनाने की कोशिश..!
— Upendra Kushwaha (@UpendraKushJDU) July 28, 2022
छुट्टी पर आपत्ति करने वाले महानुभावों, आप सभी को पता तो होना चाहिए कि शुक्रवार को सिर्फ उर्दू विद्यालयों में ही अवकाश नहीं होता है,…1/2 pic.twitter.com/6O4gbodtPP
Meanwhile, BJP, which is JD(U)’s ally in the state has strongly opposed the observance of weekly off on Friday and said that rules suitable to one religion cannot be allowed as per the Constitution.
Replying to Kushwaha, BJP spokesperson Arvind Singh said, “Be it an Urdu school or Sanskrit school, both must run as per the Bihar government’s rules. Holidays in schools should not be decided on the basis of religion. This country should have one flag, one rule and one constitution.”
BJP national spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan also weighed in on the issue, “There is a rule of law and every institution must follow the constitutional framework. We hope the state government will sincerely look into this.”
Earlier, BJP state spokesperson Nikhil Anand had also asserted, “India is a secular country and making rules to suit one’s religion is not permissible under the Constitution. If the schools are closed on Friday to suit Muslims, Hindus may demand to close the schools on Tuesday. This kind of practice should not be promoted for religious appeasement.”
