Dated January 4, 1999, and signed by Block Education Officer G S Gaikwad, the circular has been dispatched to all schools in Thane district, where a section of the Muslim community has defied uniforms prescribed by schools run by the Christian community.

The rebellion is being led by the United Parents' Association (UPA), which got the local Muslim clergy to issue a fatwa on January 29, `banning' skirts and ties as part of the school uniform ``as they perpetuate Christianity''.Apart from allowing parentsto choose the attire for their wards, the controversial circular also states that henceforth, school uniforms will have to be approved by the local education authorities. It reads: ``Girl students above Std V should be allowed the option to wear salwar-kameez and dupatta. Even schools which make wearing of ties compulsory should not insist on this. All prescribed uniforms should mandatorily be approved by us and cannot be changed without permission.''The circular, disseminated to mediapersons by the UPA in Mumbra on Sunday, also prescribes guidelines regarding discipline, the non-use of school premises for teaching religion and compulsory formation of Parent-Teacher Associations.UPA President Dr Dastageer Alam claims to have met Education Minister Sudhir Joshi on August 26, 1998, to register his protest against the uniforms prescribed by the 50-odd, Christian-run schools in the district. Says Dr Alam, ``While admitting the impossibility to change the dress code for all schools, the minister promised to issueorders so that skirts and ties are not made mandatory.'' While Joshi was inaccessible, Minister of State for Education Anil Deshmukh told Express Newsline that state Education Department has directed the education officer of the Thane Zilla Parishad (ZP) to seek an explanation from the block education officer, whose signature is appended to the document.

``The circular is invalid as it has been issued by someone not authorised to do so. The block education officer has issued the circular. We have directed the education officer to immediately ask him for an explanation,'' Deshmukh told Express Newsline.

Acknowledging the UPA's letter (dated August 26, 1998) to the state Education Department, the minister says the Thane ZP's education officer (EO) wrote to the block education officer (BO) asking him to conduct an inquiry and submit a report. ``Instead the BO issued the circular without taking the EO's permission. In fact, never mind the state government, even the EO was not aware of thisdevelopment,'' Deshmukh clarifies.``These are policy decisions which can only be taken by the state government,'' he says, adding that the officer concerned has committed a serious breach of authority and will be penalised.

Fr Dennis Pereira, secretary of the Archdiocesan Board of Education, which runs several schools in the district says the board will ask the state government to clarify its stand on the issue.