A private school in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district has been booked for allegedly forcing students to wear headscarves and embrace Islam, police said on Wednesday.
A first information report (FIR) was registered against Ganga Jamuna Higher Secondary School under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Juvenile Justice Act on the directions of state home minister Narottam Mishra, who assured action in the case, police added.
The development came a week after the state education department suspended the recognition of the school following a controversy over a poster showing female students, irrespective of their religion, wearing headscarves that looked like hijab as part of the uniform.
While the school refused to comment on the registration of the FIR, administrator Mohammad Idris Khan earlier said that he was “ready for a fair probe”.
On Wednesday morning, Mishra told reporters: “Police are going to take action against the school administration for embracing one religion and forcing female students to wear headscarves.”
The English medium school mostly has students belonging to the minority community, according to the school education department.
The purported controversy over the headscarves erupted on May 31 after the administration put up a poster, on the premises, of students who topped the class 10 state board exams. The female students were seen wearing headscarves, irrespective of their religion.
A class 8 student claimed authorities were forcing students to practice Islam. “Our teachers would force us to learn and recite the Quran on Friday,” the student said.
{{/usCountry}}A class 8 student claimed authorities were forcing students to practice Islam. “Our teachers would force us to learn and recite the Quran on Friday,” the student said.
{{/usCountry}}On June 1, several right wing organisations held protests against the school, alleging a bid by the school to convert students.
While district education officer (DEO) S K Mishra gave a clean chit to the school, the district collector Mayak Agrawal later constituted a probe committee on the directions of chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. “A report will soon be submitted to the state government for further action,” Agrawal said, refusing to provide further details.
On Tuesday, school education minister Inder Singh Parmar ordered removal of DEO Mishra for giving a clean chit to the school administration. Local BJP leaders also threw ink on the DEO, accusing him of favouring the school.
Damoh superintendent of police (SP) Rakesh Singh said the FIR was registered under sections 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code and under relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice Act.
“A few students alleged before the probe committee that they were forced to embrace Islam, read the Quran – holy book of the Muslims – every Friday and learn the Urdu language,” he said.
On Wednesday, chief minister Chouhan asserted zero tolerance towards such purported activities.
According to Chouhan’s office, he also gave instructions to the chief secretary and director general of police to investigate the complaints against the school.
“There is a conspiracy for conversion in some places in the state, we will not let such efforts succeed. I have also given instructions to probe the activities of all educational institutions, including madrassas. If education is being imparted in a wrong way, then we will check that too,” Chouhan said in a video released by his office.
“In the Damoh case, I have been informed that our daughters are being forced to wear headscarves. This is a very serious matter. As home minister Narottam Mishra ji said earlier, we are registering an FIR. Strict action will be taken. If this kind of effort is being taken in the name of education, then we will not tolerate it at any cost. Those who have such intentions will get the harshest punishment,” he added.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) also took cognizance of the matter, saying such activities are against the Constitution.
(with inputs from Anupam Pateriya)