Thiruvananthapuram: The state government has issued an order clarifying that only school authorities can hoist the national flag on Republic Day. This comes in the wake of reports that RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat will hoist the national flag at an unaided school in Palakkad on Republic Day. The circular issued by general administration principal secretary Bishwanath Sinha is not a speaking order. It did not specifically point out that the order is binding on educational institutions, including unaided CBSE schools. (A speaking order should stand the test of legality, fairness and reason at all the higher appellate forums). Mr Bhagawat is scheduled to hoist the flag at the Vyasa Vidya Peetom run by Bharatheeya Vidya Niketan.
The school is administrated by RSS fellow travellers at Kallekkadu on the outskirts of Palakkad town as part of a three-day camp of mandal-level Sangh functionaries. It is an unaided CBSE school. The order also pointed out that only national anthem can be sung after the flag-hoisting. Sources said that the circular only reiterated the provisions that have already been stipulated in the circular dated November 5, 2015. The circular is addressed to all institutions in the state detailing the procedure of celebrating Republic Day. It maintained that in all public offices, schools and colleges in the state, the national flag should be hoisted by the head of departments.
However, as the government issues NOC to operate schools in the state, it has the powers to take action if the school violates the conditions of NOC. Moreover, most of the instructions in the guidelines were based on the flag code which is applicable to all institutions, said a top official of the education department. Action is pending against Mr Bhagwat for hoisting the flag at a government-aided school on Independence Day last year. Earlier, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had asked the general education department to take action against the aided school. The flag code of 2002 that wanted the reciting of the national anthem was violated as Vande Mataram was sung at the function. The DPI office issued a notice to the headmaster and manager seeking an explanation. It is yet to receive the final report of the deputy director of education on the basis of their explanation.
