MP principal suspended for construction of ‘mazar-like platform’ on campus

A teacher, who requested anonymity, said Shayna Firdaus has a good reputation and some teachers were jealous of her and that is why they targeted her.

Updated on: Oct 7, 2022, 11:24:16 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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A school principal has been suspended in Madhya Pradesh’s Vidisha over the alleged illegal construction of a “mazar-like platform” on campus, refusal to allow an idol of goddess Saraswati and stopping students from singing the national song and anthem. Mazar means an enshrined tomb of a Muslim holy person.

The suspension order was issued late on Thursday. (Image solely for representative purpose)

The suspension order was issued late on Thursday after National Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairperson Priyank Kanoongo visited the school earlier in the day to probe the matter following retired teacher Baliram Sahu’s allegations against Shayna Firdaus, the principal.

In his complaint, Sahu said Firdaus’s husband, Banne Khan, a teacher who retired a few months ago, constructed the platform.

District collector Umakant Bhargava wrote a letter on Thursday seeking disciplinary action against Firdaus before school education commissioner Abhay Verma suspended her for violation of rules of Madhya Pradesh Civil services for “allowing the construction” in February.

Kanoongo said they found grave irregularities in the school and a thorough investigation should be done into the matter.

Firdaus said a few teachers conspired for her removal but locals and students are supporting her. “I was posted to the school 20 years back and no one raised questions on my work till now.”

District education officer Atul Kumar cited an inquiry and said it found that the platform was constructed and later left abandoned. “Firdaus said she has nothing to do with the mazar. She also denied the allegation of banning the singing national anthem and national song.”

Sahu said the students at the school would recite only the devotional song ‘ae malik tere bande hum’ in the school and Firdaus behaved autocratically. “We filed a complaint against her.”

Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar sang the devotional song for the 1957 Bollywood film Do Aankhen Barah Haath.

Firdaus’s successor and former deputy, RK Shrivastava, said he was a part of the inquiry and many teachers said she stopped students from singing the national anthem and song after taking over charge as the school principal in 2016. “Now, we have restarted the singing of the national anthem and national song in the school.”

A teacher, who requested anonymity, said Firdaus has a good reputation and some teachers were jealous of her and that is why they targeted her. “The mazar-like structure was present for a long time, but someone just renovated it. Similarly, she used to put the photo of Saraswati in every programme... so it is wrong to say that she was promoting any religion.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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