Schools in a fix over Maharashtra's directive on Unity Week tribute

PUNE: As soon as students return from the Diwali break, they will have to organize unity runs, creative slogan competition, inter-department competition, among others, in an effort to celebrate Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary.
All colleges, universities and education institutions in the state have been instructed to celebrate Ekta Saptaha (Unity Week) between October 31 and November 6.However, many schools would resume only on November 7 and are in a fix on when the celebrations would take place.
The state education department has instructed that the birth anniversary should be celebrated for the entire week. Till last year, schools celebrated it only on October 31. School and college principals across the city said they would organize events only once classes resume after Diwali vacations.
A principal, who did not wish to be named, said, "We cannot call students to school only for the celebrations. Some might even be out of town. We have received the government circular but we will hold a meeting this week to decide the schedule of events to be organized, but we are definitely not calling students to school on off days."
Seema Apte, principal of a junior college in the city, added, "Had it been just a daylong affair like last year, we would have called students and parents. But the circular has instructed that celebrations continue through the entire week with different events so we will have to plan it after school resumes."
Deputy secretary of the state education department, Siddharth Kharat said, "As per government directives, school will have to celebrate the events and they have also been asked to send a report regarding the weeklong celebrations in schools with pictures to respective regional directorates."
Post November 6, schools and colleges have been asked to send a report about the celebrations, along with photographs, via e-mail on sardarpatelanniv2016@gmail.com or WhatsApp on 09910063701.