FIR filed against principal even after she offered apologies
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – An FIR has been lodged against principal of Vandana Convent School in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna for hurting religious sentiments of the Hindu community. The development follows a ruckus created by some Hindutva groups who barged into the premises of the school to protest the rule of speaking in English.
The incident occurred on Monday when several men from the Hindutva groups like Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Prishad (ABVP) raised slogans inside the school building after the rule of English speaking was construed as the prohibition of speaking in Hindi. According to reports, the protesters tried to open the door of the school and cross over the wall when they could not open it.
Following the ruckus, the police booked the principal Sister Catherine for hurting religious sentiments of a section of people.
The protesters demanded expulsion of the principal and the recitation of a shaloka everyday in the assembly prayers even though the principal clarified and apologised.
“On that day, there was a day for speaking English. Therefore, I had stopped a student from saying something in Hindi. If I have hurt the religious sentiment of anyone, I apologise. I respect all religions,” she had said while addressing the Hindutva protesters.
The issue arose on 15 July when the principal snatched the microphone when some students started speaking in other language during the morning prayer. A student told their parents about it who then informed the Hindutva groups. Hindtuva leaders filed complaint with the district education officer over the issue.
On Sunday, the district education officer issued a notice to the principal. In its response, the the school management said: “During the morning prayer, there was a practice of giving speech in Hindi and English. On that day, there was the day for giving speech in English. But the students started their speech in Hindi. The teacher asked them to speak in English. During the prayer assembly, stories are narrated from different religious books”.
The issue was also misreported by a Hindi daily Rajasthan Patrika. The paper’s July 20 news report, headlined “Convent school main Hindi bolnay par bachhon ke hath se cheena mic (Mic was snatched from students for speaking Hindi in a convent school)”.
