Jammu and Kashmir HC orders return of 63-year-old woman deported to Pakistan
Jammu: In a significant order, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has directed the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to facilitate the return of a 63-year-old woman, Rakshanda Rashid, who was recently deported to Pakistan despite having lived in Jammu for nearly four decades.
According to a report by The Wire, Justice Rahul Bharti, while passing the order on June 6, observed, “Human rights are the most sacrosanct component of human life… this court is coming up with a direction to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India (GOI), to bring back the petitioner from her deportation.”
Rakshanda Rashid, originally from Pakistan, had been residing in Jammu for the past 38 years with her husband, a retired government official, and their two children. Her deportation came in the wake of heightened crackdowns on Pakistani nationals following the recent Pahalgam terror attack.
Despite holding a long-term visa (LTV), Rashid was deported abruptly. Her daughter, Falak Sheikh, informed The Wire that her mother had applied for Indian citizenship in 1996, but the application has yet to be processed. "She was here on an LTV, yet she was deported. She has no relatives in Pakistan and is currently alone in a hotel in Lahore," Sheikh said.
She further expressed concern over Rashid's dwindling resources. "She took only ₹50,000 with her due to the currency cap at the border. She has no local SIM because foreign phones don’t work there, and international roaming costs ₹30,000–40,000, which she cannot afford."
The court took note of her deteriorating health, the absence of a support system in Pakistan, and the lack of due process in her deportation. Justice Bharti remarked that Rashid's LTV status "may not have warranted her deportation" and questioned the absence of a proper deportation order.
The petitioner’s husband, Sheikh Zahoor Ahmed, stated that his wife is suffering from multiple ailments and is "left to fend for herself as abandoned."
The court's directive mandates the Centre to act within 10 days. However, as per her counsel Ankur Sharma, the Jammu and Kashmir authorities had not acted upon the court's order as of the date of the report.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
