Poonam Sharma
It was a bold step by the Jammu & Kashmir administration on August 23, 2025, when they took over 215 schools operated by Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT), which is an offshoot of the proscribed Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI). This is not merely an educational decision—it is about safeguarding young minds from being radicalized and making sure that such institutions are not made into nurseries for extremism under the guise of schooling.
The decision comes in the backdrop of long-standing allegations that FAT schools, though registered as educational charities, often acted as fronts for Jamaat-e-Islami’s ideological outreach. FAT has historically been accused of producing generations indoctrinated with separatist tendencies rather than being prepared for constructive roles in society. In a region as sensitive as Jammu & Kashmir, where Pakistan-sponsored terrorism has claimed thousands of lives, the government could ill afford to let such institutions operate unchecked.
Why the Move Matters
Education is the pillar of any society. When this pillar is tainted with the poison of extremism, the ramifications remain for decades. The mere concept of reclaiming over 215 FAT schools is thus not a backlash against education—it is a mission to rescue.
The government’s move ensures that:
Curriculum is put under tight control – making sure that children are being educated in mathematics, science, literature, and civic values rather than communal propaganda.
Sources of funding are shut down – FAT has been in the spot over foreign donations that allegedly went towards separatist operations. Taking over ensures the state prevents abuse of funds.
Teachers are filtered – only experienced teachers dedicated to the value of secular and inclusive education will be found in classrooms.
Learning from Assam’s Bold Example
This move replicates what took place in Assam under the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who initiated a daring operation to close unregulated madrassas that were discovered spreading extremist ideologies. During the period 2022 to 2023, more than 700 madrassas in Assam were converted into mainstream schools or consolidated with state institutions. Sarma contended that in the 21st century, students ought to learn contemporary subjects that prepare them for employment, careers, and innovation—rather than specialized teachings that confine them from mainstream society.
The critics of the time had labeled the Assam government as anti-minority. But the result belied the critics. Thousands of children who would have otherwise found themselves stuck with narrow, impractical study are now able to study science, mathematics, English, and technology. Parents from many were in favor of the step, knowing well that their children’s future was not in sectarian education but in skill-based competitive education.
By acquiring FAT schools, Jammu & Kashmir is now treading the same path—putting kids’ futures ahead of political correctness.
Radical Classrooms Are A Threat
The world has seen how radical education nurtures extremism. From Afghanistan’s Taliban madrassas in the 1980s to ISIS-inspired networks in some parts of the Middle East, schools have tended to be the nurseries of militancy. In India, Jamaat-e-Islami has been accused of spreading separatism through subtle educational propaganda.
Letting such institutions run rampant produces parallel societies—where children are raised apart from national values, distrusting other citizens, and susceptible to recruitment by terror groups. Education, rather than being a bridge, becomes a wall.
Closing or reforming such institutes is not merely an education policy—it is counter-terrorism.
The Broader Message
The Jammu & Kashmir government’s action sends a strong message: no group, no matter how ancient or entrenched, can masquerade using education as a front for promoting hatred. The FAT schools had operated for decades, frequently taking advantage of the confidence placed in them by local communities. But when the security of the nation and the mental health of children is involved, procrastination is risky.
The acquisition also supports India’s broader vision of creating a modern, knowledge-based society under the Viksit Bharat @2047 mission. In order for India to become a developed country, every child—whether in Srinagar, Guwahati, or Delhi—should have equal access to quality, mainstream education.
What Needs to Happen Next
Merely taking charge is not sufficient. For the initiative to be successful, the government needs to:
Standardize curriculum in all erstwhile FAT schools to produce uniform outcomes.
Educate teachers to instill scientific temperament and constitutional values.
Involve parents to assuage them that it is not religion but ensuring the future of their children.
Watch continuously to make sure no parallel underground education goes on outside classrooms.
This model can also be replicated for other states where religious schools are running unregulated outside the mainstream system of education.
A Step Towards Social Harmony
The foul cry merchants tend to forget that education includes the right to protection from indoctrination. When kids are educated to hate, their childhood and future are stolen. By acting boldly, governments like Jammu & Kashmir and Assam are not targeting communities—rather, they are targeting extremism.
Such a society will, therefore, become united, progressive, and peaceful. Parents in any community, if given the option, would rather their children grow up to be doctors, engineers, scientists, or businesspeople—rather than cannon fodder in someone else’s ideological struggle.
Conclusion
The move of the Jammu & Kashmir government to take 215 Jamaat-connected FAT schools into state hands is necessary and timely. This marks an increasing awareness in India that radical education is no less perilous than terrorism itself. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s previous campaign in Assam has already established that closing extremist schools paves the way for better prospects for children.
For India to progress, it will have to guard its classrooms as vigorously as it guards its borders. Education should empower, not bind. By purging schools of extremist influence, the government has delivered a telling blow in support of national security, social coexistence, and the future of our children.
