India enforces the mandatory recital of national anthem in all schools in Kashmir

On June 13th, in a directive from the School Education Department, a department under the control of the Hindu nationalist government, it was made mandatory that morning assemblies in all Kashmiri schools must commence with the national anthem of India.

This directive is seen by locals as an imposition of Indian nationalism on Kashmiri identity. They view it as an attempt to suppress their cultural and political aspirations. 

The directive is a tool to reinforce Indian control over Kashmiri education, rather than respecting the region’s distinct identity and aspirations for self-determination.

This “forced patriotism” however is not new but is part of India’s systematic imposition of Indian identity over Kashmiris. In the month of August, last year, the Indian government in Kashmir ordered the hoisting of the Indian flag on all schools for the Indian Independence Day. The refusal to hoist the flag resulted in intimidation and harassment of the individual. Employees were suspended for failing to hoist the flag, and schools were shut down for refusing to participate.