SRINAGAR: Authorities in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) have ordered the takeover of at least 58 schools linked to Jamaat-e-Islami and its Falah-e-Aam Trust, a move that has raised concerns about the future of education.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the IIOJK administration under New Delhi-appointed Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday directed the takeover of the management committees of these schools, citing so-called adverse intelligence reports and the expiry of their management terms.
The School Education Department invoked notifications issued by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, which had declared Jamaat-e-Islami an unlawful association under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Officials said the 58 schools were found to be directly or indirectly affiliated with the organisation or its trust, and Deputy Commissioners have been instructed to take control.
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In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the BJP-led administration has ordered the takeover of at least 58 schools linked to Jamaat-e-Islami and its Falah-e-Aam Trust, in a move that has sparked concerns over the future of education— KashmirMedia Service (@kmskashmirnews) April 18, 2026
The BJP-led Indian government banned the IIOJK Jamaat-e-Islami, a prominent socio-political organisation, in February 2019. Since then, authorities have conducted raids, arrested several leaders — including the organisation’s chief Dr Hameed Fayaz and spokesperson Advocate Zahid — and seized multiple properties linked to the group.
The crackdown, led by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) and police under the Indian Home Ministry, has continued as part of efforts to dismantle the organisation’s social and political network in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Schools and institutions run by the Falah-e-Aam Trust have for decades played a significant role in education, social development and moral training within Kashmiri society.
Kashmir observers and civil society voices have described the takeover of these educational institutions as an attack on the educational, religious, and cultural identity of the Kashmiri people, arguing that it reflects a broader attempt to control and reshape the territory’s intellectual and social landscape.
