Context: The DAV Boys School in Chennai has referred to the farmers protests against the government’s controversial farm bills in its second revision examination paper using phrases such as “diabolical violence”, “violent acts of miscreants” and “farm law protesters went on a rampage” in a writing assignment in the form of a “Letter to the Editor of a daily newspaper in your city”. The paragraph appears to be less of a test for the letter writing skills or eloquence of students and more of an assignment to write a letter using the suggestions provided.
“The diabolical violence that broke out in the national capital on Republic Day filled the hearts of the citizens with condemnation and abhorrence after the farm law protesters went on a rampage destroying public property and attacking police personnel in broad daylight. Write a letter to the Editor of a daily newspaper in your city, condemning such terrible, violent acts of miscreants who fail to realise that country comes before personal needs and gains. Destroying public property, disgracing the national flag, and attacking police personnel are few of the various illegal offences committed, that can never be justified for any reason whatsoever.”
DAV Boys School
The All India Kisan Sabha has written an open letter to the Principal of the DAV school in question.
To
The Principal
DAV School
Gopalapuram
Chennai.
Dear sir/madam,
The AIKS received a part of one of your question papers asking students to write an essay of 100-120 words on a topic related to the current nationwide farmers’ struggle. We are attaching the above question for your ready reference.
The AIKS strongly feels that the way in which the question is framed is extremely prejudiced against the just, legitimate and peaceful farmers’ struggle that has been going on at the Delhi borders for the last three months. Nearly 250 farmers have died at the Delhi borders during this period.
On Republic Day January 26, it is now clear that the violence and the Red Fort incident was engineered by the BJP central government and its police in league with its own agent provocateurs like Deep Sidhu and others. Mainstream media have also reported about this. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) of over 500 farmers’ organisations, strongly condemned this violence and the Red Fort incident on the very same day and also in its nationwide press conference held the next evening on January 27.
But the entire tone of your question is loaded against the lakhs of farmers who had been agitating peacefully for their demands for two months before January 26 and have been agitating peacefully for the last one month after January 26.
This question is written in a way that will poison the young minds of your students against the just farmers’ struggle going on not only at the Delhi borders, but also all over the country. Hence we demand that this question be either dropped or it be re-drafted in an objective manner.
Yours faithfully,
Hannan Mollah
General Secretary