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Damoh school hijab row: MP education minister orders removal of DEO
Meanwhile, some BJP workers allegedly threw ink on the face of the DEO, SK Mishra, accusing him of giving a clean chit to the school administration after the controversy
Madhya Pradesh school education minister Inder Singh Parmar on Tuesday ordered the removal of the district education officer (DEO) of Damoh accusing him of favouring a private school administration, which allegedly forced girls to wear headscarves. The minister also alleged that the role of the district collector was “questionable” after the incident.
Meanwhile, some Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers allegedly threw ink on the face of the DEO, SK Mishra, accusing him of giving a clean chit to the administration of the Ganga Jamna Higher Secondary School after the controversy.
The minister said that the DEO failed to check not only the uniform but also other irregularities and illegal activities of the school. “The DEO has been removed and a departmental inquiry will be conducted against him,” he said.
“It is not just a matter of school or due process. This is a matter of spreading hatred in society. Many illegal activities were happening there. Along with conversion, the issue of terror funding has also come to the fore. DEO gave clean chit to the school, but the joint director found many irregularities,” he added.
On Friday, the Madya Pradesh school education department suspended the recognition of the school in question with immediate effect. The department’s Sagar division joint director Manish Verma said the suspension was imposed on the school for failing to have infrastructure as per the recognition rules.
On the district collector, the minister said, “The district collector Mayank Agarwal should have taken immediate action, but he was seen in defence mode. I think the role of the collector is also questionable. They are trying to save the school administration. However, the entire facts will become clear in the investigation.”
The controversy erupted last week after a poster of the Ganga Jamuna Higher Secondary School in Damoh congratulating 18 students for their performance in the board examination showed girl students, irrespective of their religion, wearing headscarves.
DEO SK Mishra conducted an inquiry and said that the students wore scarves according to their will and without any pressure. The district collector also made a similar statement.
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairman Priyank Kanoongo raised the matter and said that NCPCR had received a complaint that the school was forcing Hindu and other non-Muslim female students to wear burka and hijab. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took cognizance of the matter.
On Tuesday afternoon, BJP district vice-president Amit Golu Bajaj claimed responsibility for blackening the face of the DEO.
“The school administration of Ganga Jamna school has insulted Sanatan Dharm and tried to misguide the innocent girls. District Education Officer SK Mishra tried to hush up the matter. Instead of taking action, he tried to save them and hide the illegal activities of the school administration. We have given befitting reply to DEO by blackening his face,” he said.
Meanwhile, three female teachers at the school, who have converted to Islam, reached the collectorate on Tuesday afternoon. “We showed our original documents to the officials and informed them that we didn’t convert under any pressure. We were adults when married to Muslim men and adopted Islam,” said one of the teachers on condition of anonymity.
The school’s administrator, Mohammad Idris Khan, said, “We are ready for all kind of inquiry and investigation because we haven’t done anything wrong.”
DEO SK Mishra said, “A few people are targeting me for personal reasons. Two of the persons, who smeared black ink on my face, were pressurising me to clear some bills of tenders against the rule, so they are taking advantage of the situation.”
He refused to comment on the minister’s allegations.
(with inputs from Anupam Pateriya)
