On Friday, in the Damoh hijab case where Hindu and Jain girls were seen wearing Hijab on the posters of meritorious students from a private school, along with in several photos on Facebook, the school administrator Haji Mohammad Idris claimed that the students were wearing scarves and not hijabs.
In a letter written to the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, administrator Haji Mohammad Idris of Ganga Jamuna School in Damoh indicated that a scarf is part of the school uniform, though it is not mandatory for the girls to wear it. ‘School girls wear it as a scarf or some even wear it as a dupatta. The girls are not forced to wear those scarves as they are not mandatory. They wear it on their own will,’ the letter read.
The letter was shared by NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo who said that the school administrator was speaking lie and that the girls were donned in hijab. “It was hijab, not scarf. Stop spreading lies Haji Mohammad Idris. The investigations are underway. Do not mislead the media by spreading lies,” the chairperson said.
स्कार्फ़ नहीं था हिजाब था,झूठ मत फैलाओ हाजी इदरीस !
— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (@KanoongoPriyank) June 2, 2023
जाँच चल रही है आज राज्य बाल आयोग की टीम दमोह पहुँचेगी जो कहना है वहीं कहना मीडिया को प्रभावित कर जनभावनाएँ भड़का कर सहानुभूति हासिल करने का ड्रामा चलने वाला नहीं है।#DamohUpdate pic.twitter.com/Ktq3qjtJkr
It was reported that on May 31, posters featuring meritorious youngsters from a private school began to circulate online. The surprising aspect of these posters was that every single female student was seen wearing the hijab, which is mandated in Islam. The fact that some of these female students were Hindus and Jains caused controversy.
The DM, however, dismissed the assertions after a probe, claiming that they were simply rumours and that there was nothing untoward discovered during the first inquiries. Taking cognizance 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.
According to the notice, the principal areas that are to be looked into are whether the school had the authorisation to permit hijabs as a dress code, the videos of students reciting religious prayers found by the commission, the violation of Article 28(3) of the Indian Constitution by the school administration and the monetary support obtained by the institution.
मध्यप्रदेश के दमोह ज़िले में एक स्कूल द्वारा हिंदू और अन्य ग़ैर मुस्लिम बच्चियों को स्कूल यूनीफ़ॉर्म के नाम पर जबरन बुर्का व हिजाब पहनाये जाने की शिकायत प्राप्त हुई है।
— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (@KanoongoPriyank) May 30, 2023
इसका संज्ञान लिया जा रहा है एवं आवश्यक कार्यवाही हेतु @CollectorDamoh व पुलिस अधीक्षक दमोह को निर्देश प्रेषित…
Notably, Hindu organisations have been protesting against the school administration since 2021. They claimed that the pupils were taught as if the school was a Madrasa. Hindu girls were made to wear hijab and boys were instructed how to recite namaz. The school administration has not yet been subject to any legal action.
Several school photos of students uploaded by teachers on Facebook and Instagram also reveal that the females are donning the hijab on sports day and not all of them doing so belong to the Muslim community.
The students can be seen singing Muhammad Iqbal also known as Allama Iqbal’s poems like Sare Jahan Se Accha and Lab Pe Aai Hai Dua in footages. The girls are wearing hijabs and they start their recitation with an Islamic greeting.
Damoh, Madhya Pradesh: Poster's of Hindu girls wearing Hijab installed outside a pvt school are circulating widely on the internet since morning.
— Subhi Vishwakarma (@subhi_karma) May 31, 2023
Expecting strict action in the matter @KanoongoPriyank Sir.
Here are some clips from the school events, poems of Allama Iqbal: pic.twitter.com/uxTWGXupGl
Meanwhile, Hindu groups protested outside the district collector’s office, proclaiming that the school compels Hindu female pupils to wear the hijab. They submitted a memorandum demanding the cancellation of the school’s registration. However, the allegations have been refuted by the school’s owner, Mustaq Khan, who insisted that the headscarf was part of the dress code and that no one was forced to wear it.
It is important to note that Hindu activists have already expressed their displeasure with the school and its imposed religious practices. The DM received a memorandum from VHP members back in September 2021.
They reported that students at Ganga Jamna School are coerced into receiving an education along Madarsa lines. The school mandated the girls to cover up with the hijab and ordered the boys to offer namaz. Verses from the Quran were written in Arabic within the classroom. The document highlighted numerous similar problems, but as of now, nothing has been done against the school administration.
In the given, case the school immediately removed the controversial poster after the NCPCR took cognizance of the event. The incident is making rounds on social media and investigations in the care are underway.
