Bhopal. Damoh is making it to national television. It all started with a poster from the private school called, ‘Ganga Jamna’ which was shared and called out in large numbers for making Hindu and Jain students wear Hijab compulsorily. The matter turned so big that the Chief Minister of the State had to give assurance of a detailed investigation from one of his rallies. After rounds of notices and conferences, a case has been registered and as many as three people including the principal of the school have been arrested.
Amidst all this, Vimal Soni’s 11-year-old son, Kamal (name changed) has become a centre of attraction to all the media persons. Kamal recites ayats and ‘Surah-Al-Fatiha’ frequently despite being a Hindu. Not only Vimal’s son but there are as many as 350 (out of 1200 students at the school) Hindu students who were offering the same prayers at the school and were passively moving towards Islam.
The administrators of the school have been identified as Haji Mohammad Idris, Vice President of Ganga Jamna welfare society Haji Abdul Razzaq, casier of Ganga Jamna Society Haji Mohammad Mushtaq and others.
Taking cognizance of the matter the chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Priyank Kanoongo issued a notice (number DD6270) the same day (May 31) to the District Magistrate (DM) demanding an action report within a week. The major areas to be investigated as per the notice were; if the school had permission to allow hijabs as a dress code. The commission also found videos of students reciting religious prayers, the authorities seem to breach Article 28(3) of the Indian constitution and the sources of funding received by the institution.
On June 2, Members of the state SCPCR visited the school and found irregularities and proofs of Islamic conversion. The same day a circular was issued stating the registration of the school had been suspended by the state education department. Megha Pawar, member SCPCR shared, Ayats from Quran were written over the blackboard, students were asked to recite Islamic prayers, were forced to wear Hijab, and remove Kalawa and Tilak. Students having Hindu names had Hijab pictures in the school register. The Kinder garten students had books with questions like, Who are you – I am a Muslim, What is your religion–My religion is Islam, Where is Allah–Allah is everywhere and many such questions. The same day NCPCR issued a notice (number: LC6535) to the DM and SP Damoh, demanding the institution of an FIR against the school authorities.
“The board has only suspended the registration of the school and has not cancelled permanently. The basis of this cancellation is the compromised infrastructure and not the Islamic practices followed and forced by the administration on Hindu students. As soon as the administration of the school will meet the specified guidelines pertaining to the infrastructure, they will get the registration back, the commission is committed to making sure this does not happen”, said NCPCR Chairperson.
The logo of the school and other enterprises uses a symbol in which half of India is disappeared by tampering the map of India. ‘This type of tampering with the map of our sovereign nation India by the educational institution will not be tolerated at all’ said NCPCR head. He added, the accused must be booked under the sedition law.
A FIR (number–498/2023) was registered at the Damoh Kotwali on June 7 against the principal Afsa Shiekh daughter of Sahil Shrivastava, maths teacher Anas Ahtar and peon Rustum. All these accused have been booked under IPC sections 295-A (outraging religious feelings), 506 (criminal intimidation), sections 75 and 87 of the Juvenile Justice Act and sections 3/5 of the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act. On June 10, all three accused were sent to jail.
Input Courtesy – Organiser
