MP: Hindu & Jain girls found wearing hijab in posters of a private school in Damoh; Probe ordered

NewsBharati    01-Jun-2023 16:15:48 PM
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New Delhi, June 1: A huge controversy erupted in the Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh after posters of Hindu girl toppers from a private school named Ganga Jamuna Higher Secondary School began to circulate on the internet and it was claimed that the school is forcing students to wear a "hijab".
 
Hindu Jain girls Damoh 
In the poster, toppers including Hindu and Jain girls wore headscarves that looked like hijabs. This created outrage on the social media giant, Twitter.
 
 
The District Magistrate (DM) Mayank Agarwal, however, dismissed these developments, alleging that they were simple misinformation and that there was nothing untoward discovered during the initial inquiries. In response to the tweet, the Superintended on Police (SP) Damoh commented that “the allegations were not proved on the investigation.”
 
The major areas to be investigated were whether the school had permission to allow hijabs as a dress code.
 
 
The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chief Priyank Kanoongo tweeted, “A complaint has been received about a school in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district forcing Hindu and other non-Muslim girls to wear burqas and hijabs in the name of school uniforms. Cognizance of this is being taken and instructions are being sent to Collector Damoh and Superintendent of Police, Damoh for necessary action.”
 
 
The commission, which also discovered videos of students reciting religious prayers, the authorities appear to be in violation of Article 28(3) of the Indian constitution, and the funding received by the institution. Article 28(3) mentions that no person who is attending an institution recognised by the State, or that is receiving aid from state funds shall be requested to indulge in any religious instruction that may be imparted in any such institution.
 
“In the matter of Hindu girls being shown in hijab in Ganga Jamuna School in Damoh, the District Education Officer and the local police officer investigated the matter but found nothing. However, in view of the seriousness of the matter, the Superintendent of Police has been instructed to thoroughly investigate the entire matter,” informed state Home Minister, Dr Narottam Mishra.
 
 
Notably, Hindu organizations had been criticizing the school administration since 2021, claiming that Hindu girls were forced to wear hijabs, males were taught how to do Namaz, and these students were educated as if the school was a Madrasa.
Damoh MP Hindu Jain Ganga Jamuna Higher Secondary School hijab NCPCRPriyank Kanoongo