The Education Ministry has raised concern over igniting hate and harassment against Indian teachers as the opposition’s ‘India Out’ campaign spreads across the nation.
The Education Ministry said many cases are being reported regarding the harassment of Indian teachers working at schools in the islands with further concerns of their safety at risk. Moreover, Sh. Funadhoo school’s wall was vandalized today with ‘India Out’.
Permanent Secretary of the Education Ministry, Ahmed Ali told local news Sun today that two cases, from two islands, of Indian teachers being harassed on the streets by groups, calling them ‘India Out’, have been brought to the attention of the Ministry.
“They have been requesting at schools to ensure their safety as well. Therefore, this is an extremely pressing concern of ours. This is deeply correlated to the future of our children,” he added.
Ahmed Ali also said such cases will be reported to the Maldives Police Service and appropriate actions will be taken against individuals inciting such acts. Several Indian nationals work at local schools across the country; they are hired to teach subjects that local teachers are unavailable for. If their safety is threatened, they will be hesitant to work at those schools and would be a major loss to the education system, claims Ahmed.
The ‘India Out’ campaign spearheaded by opposition PPM has been heavily criticized by the government as a means to incite violence and affect the current diplomatic relations between India and the Maldives for political gain.
