Radicalisation remark: J&K minister hits back at Army Chief, defends state's education system

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister Altaf Bukhari on Saturday hit back at Army Chief General Bipin Rawat for saying that the education system in the state needs to be overhauled to check radicalisation.

"The Army Chief is a respected officer. I do not think he is an educationist that he will give sermons on education. This being a subject on the state list, we know how to run our education system," said Bukhari.

He also defended the presence of two maps in the classroom.

"There are two flags in the state. We have Jammu and Kashmir constitution and India's constitution as well. Every school has a state map as it is needed to teach about the state," Bukhari said, as per ANI.

Addressing the Indian Army`s customary annual press conference on Friday, Bipin Rawat had questioned the education being provided in government schools in the Valley.

"In every school there is a map of India and a map of Jammu and Kashmir. Why should you have a separate map of Jammu and Kashmir? Then have maps of all states. What does it teach students? That I am in this country but I also have a separate identity? The basic grass root problem lies here - the way education is in Jammu and Kashmir because these teachers have also got the same education," he had said.

The system of education in the state needed to be given a relook, the Army chief had added.

He had further said that good schools did not produce stone-throwers and terrorists, though there could be a few exceptions.

"We have rarely seen stone-throwers... from Burnhall or probably DPS. Most are coming from schools where a lot of disinformation (is spread)" Bipin Rawat had said, IANS reported.

He had also raised concern over "disinformation" being spread through social media, and through religious schools and mosques.

"The other issue is madrassas and masjids... What is being incorrectly informed to them is through madrassas and masjids... If these can be brought under control, the education system can be revamped," the Army chief had said.

He had said that there was a need for opening more schools like army-run Goodwill Schools and CBSE-funded schools in the Valley.

(With Agency inputs)