A sensitive incident involving the consumption of beef in a school in Goalpara district of Assam has triggered widespread tension in the area. A police case has been filed after 5 Muslim students brought beef to the school and tried to force feed the same to two Hindu students.
The incident took place at Habraghat Higher Secondary School in Krishnai. According to reports, on Friday, five class nine students from Muslim community allegedly brought beef in their tiffin boxes and consumed it during the school’s tiffin break. However, they not only consumed beef in the school, but they are also accused of pressuring two Hindu classmates to eat the same meat.
The Muslim students allegedly picked pieces of beef on a spoon and tried to force feed the same to the Hindu students by bringing it to their mouths. However, the Hindu students knew what it was; therefore, they slammed the spoon to throw the meat on the ground, stomped on it, and walked away.
The episode came to light when the two affected Hindu students informed a teacher about the matter. However, the school authorities are alleged to have initially attempted to suppress the incident and instructed the victims not to speak about it. The school principal told the students that if they raise the matter, it will blow up, and therefore advised them to stay silent.
However, when the victims went home, they narrated the full details to their families, after which the matter gained public attention. This led to strong reactions from parents and local residents, who gathered at the school on Saturday demanding accountability from the school administration.
The mothers of the Hindu students said that their sons were forced to sin by the Muslim students. One student has not eaten anything after the incident on Friday.
An FIR has been lodged at the Krishnai Police Station by the families of the affected students. Locals are demanding strict legal action against the accused students and their guardians. Questions are also being raised about how the banned meat reached the school premises, especially at a time when restrictions on such activities are in place in the state. Many have described the incident as potentially planned.
When contacted, school authorities stated that they had taken note of the issue involving Class 9 students during tiffin time. They claimed to have counselled the students, obtained written undertakings from them promising not to repeat such acts, and decided to forgive them, considering it a first offence, in order to avoid escalation. The principal reportedly emphasised that parents should be more vigilant about what is sent in tiffin.
After the FIR was filed, police brought the five students and their guardians to the police station for questioning. As per police, the mother of one student, Nur Sahida Begum, has been arrested and sent to judicial custody.
Senior officials, including Goalpara District Commissioner Pradeep Timung and Superintendent of Police Navaneet Mahanta, visited the school to take stock of the situation. The incident has sparked significant outrage in the area, with demands for a thorough investigation to ensure communal harmony is maintained. Locals are demanding that the accused students be expelled from the school.
Following the incident, the District Commissioner asked the schools not to allow students to bring meat and fish in their tiffin. He said that the students should bring vegetarian food, with the exception of eggs, but no other non-vegetarian items should be brought.
