Objections force DPS to cancel Chinese New Year-themed activity

ABVP workers create ruckus on school premises over event

The timing of a cultural exchange activity on the theme of the Chinese New Year has brought unwanted trouble to Delhi Public School (North).

The activity, which had been scheduled for Friday, has been cancelled after objection was raised from several quarters. People questioned the appropriateness of such an activity when tensions between India and China are growing over the Doklam plateau in Sikkim sector.

The school had issued a circular on August 3 to parents of Class I children regarding the celebration on Chinese New Year on August 11.

The circular asks parents to send materials for an art activity on ‘New Year Celebrations in China’. It also says that students should bring Chinese cuisine such as noodles, momos and manchurian for lunch on the day. They were also asked to wear traditional Chinese attire or red clothes to school.

Mansoor Ali Khan, member of the management board of the school said that this activity was part of the International School Award (ISA) project by the British Council which is held every three years.

The project aims to nurture global citizenship among youngsters and, many schools across the country take part in the activity. “They give a theme every time and not only China, other countries such as the USA, the UK and Denmark are also part of the activity. There is no negative intention behind this and it is just an educative activity to understand culture, food habits and clothing of different countries,” Khan said.

Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) went to the school and created a ruckus during the day. “They had no business coming to the school. We had to call the police. Children were terrified. The ABVP and BJP are being very irresponsible by politicising this matter,” Khan said.

The official Twitter handle of Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council K S Eshwarappa tweeted asking why the school was celebrating Chinese New Year and asking children to wear Chinese traditional attire.

Though the event has been cancelled for now, the school management will take a final decision on whether to have the activity at a later date.