The Gujarat Government on Tuesday ordered an investigation after students in a private school in Ahmedabad were asked to “perform” namaz as part of practices of all religions.
Activists of various Hindu right-wing groups held a protest and a teacher was beaten up in the school located in Ghatlodia, which is Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel’s Assembly constituency in Ahmedabad.
Following these incidents, the school management first apologised and then explained that no student was forced to perform the namaz and the activity was part of the exercise to make the students aware of forms of prayers of different religions.
In a video of the event, which was later removed from the school’s Facebook page, a student of the primary section can be seen performing namaz. Then, four other students join him in singing ‘Lab pe aati hai dua’, a prayer in the Islamic way.
“In view of Eid, we had organised this activity for the students of standard II to give them information about the festival. We carry out such activities ahead of festivals of all religions, including Samvatsari (Jain festival) and Ganesh Chaturthi. No student was forced to perform namaz. It was just a two-minute activity, and the students who participated had taken consent from their parents,” said School principal Nirali Dagli.
However, after the protests by the Hindu right-wing groups, the State government also joined the issue and said an investigation would be conducted.
“It seems that some people want to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the state by organising such programs in schools. Students who took part in that programme may not be even aware what exactly they were doing. This is not at all acceptable,” said Minister of State for Primary, Secondary and Education Praful Pansheriya, who ordered the investigation.
He also added that action would follow the probe.
Meanwhile, members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Bajrang Dal and other right-wing organisations staged a protest on the school premises and said that such incidents must never be allowed in the school.
Members of such organisations and a few parents who joined the protests reportedly beat up a teacher who was playing a musical instrument when the students were asked to practice the prayers of different religions.
The school management has, however, not lodged a complaint against them. They instead tendered an apology with an assurance that it would not be repeated in future.
“...we wholeheartedly celebrate all Indian festivals including Ganeshotsav, Janmashtami, Navratri, Eid, Christmas, Navroz, Guru Purab, Paryushan, etc. and encourage our students to participate in them. During the school assembly on the occasion of Eid, one of our students depicted how namaz is performed while three other children stood by the depiction. The sole objective of the act was to educate children about the diverse customs of India. It was never our intention to hurt the sentiments of the followers of any religion,” a statement issued by the School management said.
