During the Nava Kerala Sadas, students were instructed to line up at 11 am, enduring the blazing sun until the cabinet motorcade passed around noon. Televised coverage revealed a male voice, purportedly a teacher, instructing the children to raise slogans and chant salutations to the Sadas.
The incident has sparked outrage among right-thinking individuals, questioning the appropriateness of exposing children to such conditions for political events. The NCPCR has swiftly taken action by seeking clarification from the Chief Secretary regarding the incident. This notice is in response to the complaints filed by BJP leader Anoop Antony, Bharatiya Mahila Morcha and ABVP.
Adding to the controversy, the Kerala High Court has denied approval for the participation of school kids in the Sadas, leading the government to announce the withdrawal of the earlier orders. This move comes as the state faces increasing scrutiny for the use of children in political events, raising concerns about their well-being and the ethics surrounding such practices.
As the situation unfolds, both public and legal scrutiny on the government’s decision to involve school children in political events is intensifying, prompting calls for accountability and safeguarding the rights of the young participants.
Now, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) have sought Kerala Chief Secretary’s report in five days stating the actions taken in the matter.
Interestingly, none of the students belonged to Koothuparambu assembly constituency; the place where the students assembled was not within it either. They reportedly came from Chambad Lower Primary School, Chothanur High School, Chambad Upper Primary School, all belonging to Thalasserry constituency represented by Assembly Speaker and CPM leader AN Shamseer. Reports suggests that principal of College of Engineering issued the notice asking the students to attend the Nava Kerala Sadas. Some media reports suggested that it was at the behest of the Speaker. The instruction was contradictory to the strict orders against doing so sans the permission of the Department of Education. Orders reportedly say that students should not stand in the open for more than seven minutes even for morning assemblies in the institution.
Another report states that children of Mukkam Manasserry Government UP School were made to dance to the tune of music in a busy road of heavy traffic for the publicity of the Nava Kerala Sadas in Kozhikode.
Meanwhile, Kerala High Court’s interim order instructs to discontinue the mandatory participation of students up to Plus 2 in the Nava Kerala Sadas. Students and the buses should not be sent for the Nava Kerala Sadas. Justice Devan Ramachandran ordered that students should not be sent to non-academic programmes.
The Court order was in connection with the petition filed by PK Navas, the president of Muslim Students Federation (MSF), the student wing of Indian Union Muslim League, questioning the Malappuram Educational Deputy Director’s order for making the school students participate in the Nava Kerala Sadas. The court said the Deputy Director of Education, prima facie, does not have, under the existing rules, the authority to issue such an order.
Additional Advocate General, appearing on behalf of the state government, submitted before the Court that the Deputy Director’s order has been withdrawn by the follow-up order of November 21. He informed the Court that the children will not participate in the Nava Kerala Sadas in other districts also.
HC order should be viewed in light of the recent complaints highlighting the hardships the students faced when they were asked to stand in the hot sun and shout slogans to welcome the Nava Kerala Sadas. High Court order says that students are the wealth; hence, they should not be used for politics.
Another report from Malappuram suggests that District Education Officer of Tirurangadi was instructed to send ‘well-disciplined’ students to the venue of Nava Kerala Sadas. Instruction was given during the meeting of the head teachers.
Reports from Nilambur, Malappuram, say that students belonging to ST communities were paraded in the procession carried out for the publicity of the Nava Kerala Sadas. The procession was reportedly conducted by Nilambur Municipality. The students were carrying placards asserting the ‘achievements’ of the Pinarayi Government.
But, still the CM keeps on stating that Nava Kerala Sadas has been accepted by the people of the state lock, stock and barrel. CM reportedly said on November 24 that children get the opportunity to see the cabinet moving closer to them !!!!
