Farmers organizations have condemned a Chennai’s school’s examination paper that disparages their agitation against new farm laws.
An English language examination paper of Dayanand Arya Vidyalaya Boys’ school in Chennai’s Gopalapuram has labeled the protesting farmers as “violent maniacs” acting under “external instigations.”
During a written English exam on February 11, the renowned school asked its tenth graders to write a 100-to-200-word letter to a daily news-paper editor condemning farm law protesters for the Republic Day violence and for failing to “realize that country comes be-fore personal needs and gain.”
Responding to the wording of this question, All India Kisan Sabha (farmers’ council) General Secretary Hannan Mollah wrote to the Principal, “The AIKS strongly feels that the way in which the question is framed is extremely prejudiced against the just, legitimate and peaceful farmers’ struggle that has been going on at Delhi borders for the last three months.”
He told the school that the question’s general tone is loaded against protesting farmers and will poison young minds against the on-going farmers’ struggle across India. The school is managed by the Arya Samaj Educational Trust.
“We demand that this question be either dropped or it be re-drafted in an objective manner,” he said.