Bengal minister urges opposition not to politicise school uniform issue

The issue of introducing a common school uniform for all state-run schools of West Bengal was raised in the assembly on Tuesday, as Education Minister Bratya Basu urged the opposition parties not to politicise it.

All government and government-aided schools of West Bengal will have a common uniform in blue and white colour scheme, and the dress will feature the 'Biswa Bangla' logo of the state government, Basu said.

Currently, each school has its own colour-coded uniform.

To a question by opposition BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh whether there was any real need to change the existing uniform policy as it would go against heritage, Basu said, "The state police had red caps (as part of its uniform) once, but that was discontinued over time."

Those who are flagging the uniform issue in West Bengal must think about what BJP-ruled states such as Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Assam had done, the education minister said.

"In Gujarat, the state government introduced Khaki pants for school children in 2021. In Uttar Pradesh and Assam, the state governments effected a change in the uniform colour code last year in the schools run by them. So we must check the facts," he said.

Basu admitted that the state government is thinking about blue and white colour code for school uniform on which there will be the 'Biswa Bangla' logo.

"Instead of going for the khaki colour code as introduced in Gujarat, our government will go for a different colour pattern for our students. We are not going for Khaki which is the colour code of the uniform of a Hindutva organisation. We are not choosing khaki which reminds us of the Nazi rule in Hitler's Germany," he said.

Khaki shorts were part of the RSS uniform for 90 years till 2016 when the ideological parent of the BJP replaced it with dark brown trousers.

"We have chosen a colour which goes with the image of progress, development and inclusiveness of Bengal," the minister said.

Basu said the presence of the Biswa Bangla logo on every school dress is "aimed at making every student part of the initiative to project Bengal globally, to make Bengal a known global brand which was being successfully carried out by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee."

He said that opposition members should support the state government instead of criticising it as the move is aimed at bolstering the 'Bengali asmita' and they also belong to West Bengal.

The minister said the plan will boost the MSME sector, the textile sector and women's self-help groups as they will be tasked with the job to make the dresses, footwear and bags of students from classes one to eight.