J&K: FAT schools takeover row pits LG administration against Omar Abdullah-led govt

Srinagar: The takeover of 215 schools run by the Falah-e-Aam Trust (FAT), widely believed to be an affiliate of the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), has snowballed into a fresh flashpoint between the LG-led administration and the Omar Abdullah-led elected government, raising fears among parents about the academic future of their children.

The School Education Department order issued by Commissioner Secretary Ram Niwas Sharma, directed deputy commissioners to take over charge of these schools and constitute new management committees. The order said that FAT’s committees had either expired or were red-flagged by intelligence agencies after Jamaat was banned in 2019.

The order also directs deputy commissioners to take over these schools and propose new committees for them.

“Now, therefore, in view of the above and in order to safeguard the academic future of the students enrolled in these schools in exercise of the powers conferred by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir … it is hereby ordered that: The Managing Committee of the 215 schools… shall be taken over by the District Magistrate/Deputy Commissioner concerned, who shall propose a fresh Managing Committee in due course for the concerned schools after getting these duly verified,” the order says.

But almost immediately, Education Minister Sakina Itoo cried foul, alleging the order had been “modified without her knowledge.” She admitted that police reports had raised concerns about FAT schools, but said her decision was to place the institutions under the supervision of nearby government school principals—not under the control of district magistrates. “The case file was with me. The order that went out was not what I had cleared,” she said.

This sharp divergence has turned the takeover into a political blame game. While the LG administration defends the move as part of a wider effort to “de-radicalise education” and cut off Jamaat’s proxies, NC leaders argue that the current dispensation is unfairly dragging their government into controversy.

Opposition parties have seized the moment to attack Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, accusing the NC of either complicity or incompetence. Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone called the move “a blatant display of political overreach,” while PDP’s Aijaz Ahmad Mir said it exposed “the NC government’s internal lapses.”

For the LG administration, the issue is framed as one of national security. “The aim is to protect the academic future of students and ensure no banned outfit continues to run institutions through fronts,” said a senior official.

Caught in between are over 51,000 students and their parents. FAT schools have for decades offered affordable education to children from low-income families and produced a stream of professionals.

Parents now fear stigma and disruption. “These schools are being painted as radicalised spaces, but for us they were simply schools. Don’t make children victims of politics,” said Farooq Ahmad, a parent in Baramulla.

The takeover has also raised practical dilemmas: Will teachers appointed by FAT be absorbed into the government system? How will the already stretched education department manage additional responsibility without fresh resources?

The controversy also raises practical concerns: What happens to the staff—many of whom were appointed by FAT—and will the government absorb them? With an already overstretched education department, critics fear that the schools may be pushed into administrative limbo.

For students and parents, the biggest worry remains continuity. “We just want our children’s studies to continue without hurdles. They should not be made victims of politics,” said Farooq Ahmad, a parent from Baramulla.