Non-Muslims Students Forced to Wear Hijab at Madhya Pradesh School, FIR Lodged

11 members of the management committee of a school in Madhya Pradesh have been charged by the police for allegedly forcing kids to wear the hijab while in school. The incident was reported from the Ganga Jamuna Higher Secondary School in the Damoh district, around 250 km from the capital Bhopal.

On Wednesday, the Damoh Kotwali police filed charges against nine Muslims and two non-Muslim members of the management committee of the government-sponsored minority school under Indian Penal Code Sections 295 (damaging or defiling any object held as sacred by any class of persons) and 506 (criminal intimidation) as well as the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children Act) provisions.

Rakesh Singh, Superintendent of Police said, “The high-powered committee had taken statements from some students of the school. Based on the committee’s recommendations, the local police registered an FIR against the 11 members of the school’s management committee. Additional sections may be added to the FIR as the investigation progresses in the coming days.”

The FIR was lodged based on statements from at least three students, two girls and a boy, who were enrolled in classes VI and VIII, as per the sources. All the three students were Hindus. The girls alleged that they were required to wear the hijab while attending school. The sacred thread (Kalawa) from their wrists and the religious mark (tilak) from their foreheads were also forced off, according to the three students. During the morning prayers, they were also made to recite the poem “Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua Banke Tamanna” by Allama Iqbal.

A few hours after state’s home minister, Narottam Mishra, told reporters in Bhopal that he had ordered Damoh Police to file a case against the school. He also added that the angle of religious conversion would also be investigated. Ganga Jamuna school of Damoh district is already under probe for making non muslim girls wear hijab.

Earlier, the school in the Damoh area had published a poster of its students who topped in boards, in which some of the females were wearing scarves, despite being Non-Muslims. The poster was was extensively circulated on social media alleging the girls were compelled by the school to wear the hijab.

Priyank Kanoongo, chair of the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), then brought the issue to the attention of the Damoh district collector. On May 30 the NCPCR complaint on the matter, when he met with the children’s family no parent complained. Right-wing Hindu organisations continued to protest despite the investigation’s conclusions.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan, demanded Damoh district administration to conduct a new investigation. This prompted the creation of a powerful committee to reinvestigate the case.

A few days before MP government suspended the school recogniiton for violating state government’s regulations regarding the recognition of secondary and higher secondary schools. IS Parmar, the Minister of school education, also ordered the dismissal of Damoh district education officer for giving the school a clean chit without conducting a comprehensive inquiry.

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