The Crossbill News Desk
The Rajasthan government early Sunday (November 30) reversed its decision to observe December 6 as ‘Shaurya Diwas’ in schools, retracting an official circular barely half a day after it was issued.
The date, marking the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, had been designated for celebrations in both government and private schools on the directive of Education and Panchayati Raj Minister Madan Dilawar.
The initial circular, signed by Secondary Education Director Sitaram Jat, instructed schools to conduct a range of educational and cultural programmes aimed at fostering “patriotism, nationalism, bravery, cultural pride and national unity” among students and staff on December 6.
But at 9.15 am, Dilawar abruptly withdrew the order, citing ongoing examinations. In his statement, the minister said, “All schools in the state are currently conducting examinations, which will be held from December 5 and 6. Therefore, it is not possible to conduct any other activities or events in schools during the examination period. Therefore, the ‘Shaurya Diwas’ celebrations are postponed,” The Indian Express reported.
Even while walking back the directive, he stood by the reasoning behind such a celebration. Dilawar said Lord Ram represents the essence of Indian cultural values and described the Ram Mandir movement as a symbol of cultural pride. He maintained that introducing students to the history of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement would “inspire students and instil a spirit of patriotism and national unity”.
The shelved plan included a wide spectrum of activities: speech and essay competitions on Indian culture and the Ram Temple movement, painting and poster-making centred on the Ayodhya temple, patriotic songs, folk dances, and short plays based on historical or mythological episodes.
Schools were also asked to prepare exhibitions featuring photographs, artefacts, and documents related to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and other “heroic events” in Indian history.
The circular further proposed group ‘surya namaskar’ sessions, yoga practice, and a special morning assembly with hymns and aarti dedicated to Lord Ram.
‘Shaurya Yatras’ within school campuses and interactions with military personnel, social workers, and history enthusiasts were also suggested.
The episode comes amid a series of contentious decisions and remarks by Dilawar since assuming charge. His directive making Vande Mataram mandatory in all schools, including Madrasas, drew criticism from minority communities, who labelled it coercive.
He has also routinely accused Mughal emperor Akbar of being a tyrant and alleged that the previous Congress administration sought to glorify him. Recently, he instructed school authorities to remove “illegal encroachments and religious sites” from government school premises, warning, “If such sites are found in any school, strict legal action will be taken against the principal/headmaster.”
The withdrawal of the ‘Shaurya Diwas’ order also followed a controversy involving Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma.
A day earlier, Sharma had posted a video on X promoting government schemes such as the Price Support Scheme (PSS) and Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) as “farmer-friendly”.
However, the farmers shown in the video were from an area near Jodhpur’s polluted Jojri River, where farmland has long suffered due to toxic discharge. The family featured cultivates leased land, and local residents have for years demanded measures to address the contamination. After mounting criticism, the post was removed from the Chief Minister’s account.
The date, marking the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, had been designated for celebrations in both government and private schools on the directive of Education and Panchayati Raj Minister Madan Dilawar.
The initial circular, signed by Secondary Education Director Sitaram Jat, instructed schools to conduct a range of educational and cultural programmes aimed at fostering “patriotism, nationalism, bravery, cultural pride and national unity” among students and staff on December 6.
But at 9.15 am, Dilawar abruptly withdrew the order, citing ongoing examinations. In his statement, the minister said, “All schools in the state are currently conducting examinations, which will be held from December 5 and 6. Therefore, it is not possible to conduct any other activities or events in schools during the examination period. Therefore, the ‘Shaurya Diwas’ celebrations are postponed,” The Indian Express reported.
Even while walking back the directive, he stood by the reasoning behind such a celebration. Dilawar said Lord Ram represents the essence of Indian cultural values and described the Ram Mandir movement as a symbol of cultural pride. He maintained that introducing students to the history of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement would “inspire students and instil a spirit of patriotism and national unity”.
The shelved plan included a wide spectrum of activities: speech and essay competitions on Indian culture and the Ram Temple movement, painting and poster-making centred on the Ayodhya temple, patriotic songs, folk dances, and short plays based on historical or mythological episodes.
Schools were also asked to prepare exhibitions featuring photographs, artefacts, and documents related to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and other “heroic events” in Indian history.
The circular further proposed group ‘surya namaskar’ sessions, yoga practice, and a special morning assembly with hymns and aarti dedicated to Lord Ram.
‘Shaurya Yatras’ within school campuses and interactions with military personnel, social workers, and history enthusiasts were also suggested.
The episode comes amid a series of contentious decisions and remarks by Dilawar since assuming charge. His directive making Vande Mataram mandatory in all schools, including Madrasas, drew criticism from minority communities, who labelled it coercive.
He has also routinely accused Mughal emperor Akbar of being a tyrant and alleged that the previous Congress administration sought to glorify him. Recently, he instructed school authorities to remove “illegal encroachments and religious sites” from government school premises, warning, “If such sites are found in any school, strict legal action will be taken against the principal/headmaster.”
The withdrawal of the ‘Shaurya Diwas’ order also followed a controversy involving Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma.
A day earlier, Sharma had posted a video on X promoting government schemes such as the Price Support Scheme (PSS) and Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) as “farmer-friendly”.
However, the farmers shown in the video were from an area near Jodhpur’s polluted Jojri River, where farmland has long suffered due to toxic discharge. The family featured cultivates leased land, and local residents have for years demanded measures to address the contamination. After mounting criticism, the post was removed from the Chief Minister’s account.
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