Senior cop to promote communal peace in schools

Children Welfare Centre High School and Junior College principal Ajay J Kaul, who is co-ordinating the programme, informed, “The programme was tried on the C D Barfiwala High School last year. We sent them a survey form to be filled by the students to gauge their ideas on communal harmony”.

While one section of the form sought general information on the students’ families, the second section asked them what they thought was the reason for communal tension in society. A third section sought their view on the effect of communal riots on the society at large. The fourth section invited the students’ opinion for a better society in the future and the fifth asked them where would they feel safe. In the sixth and the last section, the students were given a free rein to express, as a model citizen, how they would strengthen the chain of brotherhood in the society.

Each section, except the first one, offered the student multiple choice questions. For instance, in the fifth section the student had to decide between a cosmopolitan society, a secular society and a communal society, by ticking his preferences.

The survey showed that the students preferred living in their own communities, which only reflected the deep impact of the riots on them, Kaul explained.

“This year, we will be sending such forms to all the schools prior to the Addl Commissioner’s visit. We will keep the programme alive by follow-up programmes like essay competitions and painting competitions on these themes,” said Kaul.

But what prompted Singh to take up the cause himself? Well, Singh feels that the average Mumbaikar vis-a-vis his peers in other provinces of the state, has less respect for law and humanity. Schools primarily hold the responsibility of shaping a good citizen, Singh added.

“The growth of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir can be traced down to the schools which were the breeding ground for terrorists. The rising trend in crime and communalism among citizens is primarily because of the schools that nurtured them,” said Singh.