University Grants Commission (UGC) issued a circular requesting all higher educational institutions (HEI), universities and colleges to celebrate Surgical Strike Day on September 29.
UGC Secretary Rajnish Jain, has written circular to the Vice Chancellors of all universities, has instructed that colleges may organize special parades, speeches by ex-servicemen about the sacrifices made by the Armed Forces, exhibitions, writing letters and making cards by students to pledge their support for the Armed Forces, etc to mark the day.
UGC circular reads, “All HEIs with National Cadet Corps (NCC) units shall organize a special parade on 29th September, after which the NCC commander shall address them on the modalities of protection of the borders. The Universities/colleges may organize a meeting, calling ex-service men who will sensitise the students about the sacrifice made by the armed forces in protecting the borders.”
The UGC circular further says, “On the occasion, the student shall pledge their support for the armed forces by writing letter and cards, which may be produced in both physical and digital format. These letters and cards will be shared with Public Relation Officer, Defence and Press Information Bureau for publicity across various media, including social media.”
While disagreeing with the idea historian Aditya Mukherjee of JNU, reportedly said, “This is typically the BJP trying to project themselves as the nationalists. They have this great deficit of not being part of the national movement. Now they are trying to force it on people and militarize campuses.”
“We are not anti-army. But they want to push us through a nationalism test. Forcing people to prove their nationalism is no way to arouse nationalism,” Mukherjee added.
