In an update to the ongoing hijab controversy at the Ganga Jamuna School in the Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh, School Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar revealed that Damoh Collector Mayank Agarwal is trying to save the District Education Officer (DEO) SK Mishra who is found guilty as per the prima facie information obtained. The Minister also confirmed that the state government would take action against the DEO and remove him from his post amid a comprehensive investigation that is being conducted against him.
This comes after a few enraged BJP leaders protested against the DEO and threw ink on him while the officer was leaving his office in his car. The protesters and the Hindu activists could be heard raising the slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in the video that has gone viral over the internet.
Confirming the DEO’s negative involvement in the case, Minister Inder Singh Parmar said, “Prima facie information that is coming out is that the District Education Officer (DEO) has given wrong information, that is why the DEO is guilty. He is supposed to visit the school continuously and inspect it, but that didn’t happen. Later, when the incident came to light through the press and social organizations, even then the DEO tried to give a clean chit.”
The Minister also said that after the investigation, it was found that the matter was not only about the controversial uniform but many more problems were uncovered. “It is quite clear that the DEO has deliberately done negligence. We are taking action against the DEO and removing him. Along with this, we are conducting a comprehensive investigation against him, it will also be ensured that he has been negligent, and will also take action against those who are guilty.”
Further, slamming Damoh Collector Mayank Agarwal over the issue, the Minister stated that timely action should have been taken by the collector because the matter is not only about the school, it is about spreading malice in society.
“What has been clarified by the Children’s Commission means that many illegal activities were happening there, topics like conversions have also come up, and the topic of terror funding has also come to the fore. District Administration should immediately investigate. Chief Minister and Home Minister have given instructions for the investigation, all the points will come to the fore. The collector is also trying to save him, but the facts will come out in the investigation and I understand that the Chief Minister is active in such developments, and will take strict action against the accused,” the minister added.
The controversy in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, erupted when Hindu and Jain girls were seen wearing hijabs on the posters of meritorious students from a private school named Ganga Jamuna School. The school administrator Haji Mohammad Idris then tried to mislead the matter calming that the students were wearing scarves and not hijabs. The DM also dismissed the assertions after a probe, claiming that they were simply rumours and that there was nothing untoward discovered during the initial enquiries.
जांच पर आरोप सिद्ध नहीं हुए
— SP Damoh MP (@SP_DAMOHMP) May 30, 2023
Taking cognisance of the matter, NCPCR’s Priyank Kanoongo issued a notice on May 31 to the District Magistrate (DM) demanding an action report in a week. During the investigation, the SCPCR found that Ayats and lessons from the Quran were imprinted on every wall of the school. Every girl student was made to wear a hijab and they had been taught to greet the teachers with ‘Assalam Walikum..’ and not Good Morning.
The students at the school were also asked to recite three Islamic prayers followed by the National Anthem during the assembly every day. The prayer included ‘Lab pe aati hai dua..’ by Allama Muhammad Iqbal who had advocated the formation of a separate nation for Muslims in the form of Pakistan in 1930.
Several girl students have come to the fore after the investigation began in the case to confirm that the school authorities asked them to read Namaz on Fridays and pressurised them to learn Arabic and Urdu. “They asked us to pray to Allah. Even the Hindu students were asked to pray to Allah. We were also asked to recite Islamic prayers after Jana Gana Mana,” the girl could be heard saying in the video.
Damoh School Controversy: Listen to this minor girl making shocking revelations about the forced Islamic practices followed in the school.
— Subhi Vishwakarma (@subhi_karma) June 6, 2023
Apart from the Hijab & Islamic teachings, the SCPCR teams found as many as 3 teachers (1 Jain & 2 Hindus) were converted post appointment: pic.twitter.com/QDLZd10p5i
Further, not only the students but teachers were also mandated to follow the Islamic practices on the school premises. Three of the school teachers, 2 Hindus and 1 Jain have converted to Islam post their appointment for the job at the school. Further probe into the case is underway.
