62% of military schools handed over to Sangh Parivar, BJP leaders: Report
Mumbai: A recent study by 'The Reporter's Collective' has revealed startling findings, indicating that 62% of military schools in India have been handed over to affiliates of the Sangh Parivar and BJP leaders.
This means that a majority of the schools approved by the 'Sainik Schools Society' under the Ministry of Defense are now under the ownership of Sangh Parivar and BJP-affiliated individuals and organizations.
In Vrindavan, Sadhvi Ritambhara, a Hindu nationalist ideologue and founder of the Durga Vahini, the women's wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), runs the 'Samvid Gurukulam Girls Soldier School'.
Sadhvi Ritambhara, known for her role in the Ram Mandir movement, addressed students at a development camp last June, emphasizing 'respect', traditions, and rituals. In a video shared on the school's Facebook page, girls can be seen expressing concerns about behavior in colleges and on social media.
"What do we find in colleges? Girls smoke cigarettes at midnight. In education centres, women drink alcohol and ride motorcycles, misbehaving with their peers. We never thought that Indian girls would be so out of control. They are posting abusive reels on social media. They are doing a nude photoshoot. They are showing off their bodies in underwear. This shows that these women are mentally ill, these girls have no sanskar," said Rithambara.
Her girls' school in Vrindavan and 'Raj Lakshmi Samvid Gurukulam' in Solan, Himachal Pradesh are among the list of at least 40 schools that have recently signed an agreement with the Sainik Schools Society (SSS), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Defence. SSS runs schools on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
In 2021, the central government opened doors for private companies to run military schools in India. The government announced plans to establish 100 new military schools across India in its annual budget that year.
The PPP model allows private individuals to associate with SSS, receive partial financial assistance, and run their own branches. However, concerns have been raised about the involvement of politicians and right-wing organizations in the military education system.
Retired Major General commented that while the PPP model is good in principle, he is concerned about the bias that may affect the nature of education. The involvement of BJP-linked individuals and organizations in the ownership of these schools could impact the outlook of the armed forces.
According to RTI information, between May 05, 2022, and December 27, 2023, at least 40 schools have been approved by the Sainik Schools Society. An analysis by the Collective reveals that 11 of the 40 schools are directly owned by BJP-linked politicians or run by trusts headed by BJP leaders or belonging to BJP-allied parties and crony politicians, while eight are directly run by the RSS and its allies. Additionally, six schools have close links with Hindutva organizations or right-wing and other Hindu religious organizations. None of the approved schools are run by Christian or Muslim organizations or any religious minority in India.
Allotment to BJP party members and friends
From Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh, a large number of these new soldier schools show the direct involvement of the BJP and its leaders or that they are the heads of trusts. Tawang Public School in the border town of Tawang in Arunachal is the only approved military school in the state. The school is owned by the Chief Minister of the state, Pema Khandu.
In Mehsana, Gujarat, 'Mr. Motibhai R. Choudhary Sagar Sainik School' is affiliated with Dudhsagar Dairy, which is chaired by former BJP general secretary Ashok Kumar Bhavasangbhai Choudhary of Mehsana. Home Minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone for the school last year. Another school in Gujarat, Banas Sainik School in Banaskantha, is run by the Galbabhai Nanjibhai Patel Charitable Trust under Banas Dairy. The organization is headed by Shankar Chaudhary, a BJP MLA from Tharad and the current Speaker of the Gujarat Assembly.
Shakuntlam International School in Etawah in Uttar Pradesh is run by Munna Smriti Sansthan, a non-profit under the chairmanship of BJP MLA Sarita Badauriya.
The investigation found that several BJP politicians were among those benefiting from the new PPP model. This long list includes BJP leaders from various states. In Haryana, Shri Baba Mastnath Residential Public School in Rohtak is now a Sainik school. It was founded by former BJP MP Mahant Chandanath and is currently run by Mahant Balakanath Yogi, sitting BJP MLA from Tijara, Rajasthan.
Among the newly approved schools in Maharashtra is the Padma Shri Dr Vithalrao Vikhe Patil School in Ahmednagar. It is chaired by former Congress MLA Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who joined the BJP in 2019. SK International School, Sangli has received approval from Sainik School, founded by Sadabhu Khot, a BJP ally who was a minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government in 2014. The approved Syna International School in Katni, Madhya Pradesh is headed by Nidhi Pathak, wife of Madhya Pradesh BJP MLA Sanjay Pathak.
Some of the above mentioned schools are existing schools which have received approval to become military schools. Army schools, like other government-run schools in the country, primarily follow the Central Board of Secondary Education curriculum with some additional subjects such as moral values, patriotism, communal harmony and personality development.
A school run by a foundation under the Adani Group, which is close to the BJP, has also been given SSS approval. Adani World School in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh has been approved by SSS. The school is owned by Adani Community Empowerment Foundation.
Saffronisation of Military Schools:
The list of approved schools is not limited to those owned by BJP leaders, SSS approval has also been given to RSS and Hindu right-wing organizations. Vidya Bharati Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Sansthan (Vidya Bharati) is the educational arm of the RSS. These institutes are also approved. Vidya Bharati is generally accused of rewriting history, preaching and anti-Muslim curriculum. RSS founded Vidya Bharati in 1978. It has 12,065 schools under it, with 3,158,658 students studying. It is probably one of the largest networks of private schools in India. As they mention on their website, they want to build a young generation committed to Hinduism and imbued with patriotic fervor. The report also mentioned that several other Hindu religious trusts, schools run by the right wing, have received approval to run military schools.
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Dharmasthala mass burial case: Two complainants appear before SIT in Belthangady
Belthangady: Two people, Purandara Gowda and Thularama Gowda of Dharmasthala, who had earlier filed complaints in relation to the Dharmasthala mass burial case and claimed to have witnessed the burial of bodies, spoke to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) officials on Wednesday.
Prior to the meeting, Purandara Gowda told reporters that he used to own a shop situated on the banks of River Nethravathi. “While at the shop, I had seen bodies being buried, in all likelihood, by the anonymous witness. I have, however, seen more than one person being involved in this work at the first and 13th sites identified by the witness,” he has said.
Thularama Gowda has said that he had seen the burial of bodies at sites beyond those identified by the witness. “The SIT will be provided the information on the matter,” Gowda added.
