MP School Allegedly ‘Forcing’ Girl Students Including Hindus to Wear ‘Hijab’; Govt Orders Probe

A controversy erupted in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district after it was alleged that a private school is forcing students to wear a “hijab”. The state government ordered a probe into the matter.

The allegations were levelled after a poster of Ganga Jamuna Higher Secondary School in Damoh showed girls, including Hindu students, wearing headscarves that “looked like hijab”.

Home Minister Narottam Mishra said that the matter was first investigated by the district education officer. “No complaint was received in this regard. In view of the seriousness of the issue, the superintendent of police has been instructed to thoroughly investigate it,” he said.

Meanwhile, Hindu outfits staged a protest at the district collector’s office, alleging that the school is forcing Hindu girl students to wear a hijab. They submitted a memorandum demanding cancellation of the school’s registration.

Damoh Collector Mayank Agrawal said a probe was conducted earlier about the allegation of religious conversion but it was not found to be true. He also put out a tweet clarifying that the allegation had no substance.

Later, the collector said that after the home minister’s instructions, a team comprising the tehsildar, district education officer and police officials was being formed to probe the matter.

However, school owner Mustaq Khan said that the uniform included the headscarf and nobody was forced to wear it.

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairman Priyank Kanoonago said in a tweet that 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 hijab” in the name of uniform.

Cognisance is being taken and instructions are being sent to Damoh collector and superintendent of police for necessary action, he added.

Last year, the controversial issue of Muslim girls wearing ‘hijab’ in educational institutions in Karnataka hit national headlines with a government pre-university college in Udupi banning it inside classrooms.

The then BJP government in the state had in an order banned the wearing of hijab inside campuses after the controversy broke out, saying ‘any clothing that would disturb equality, integrity and public law and order’ will not be allowed.

The Karnataka High Court upheld the government order after a few Muslim girl students moved the court. The judgement was then challenged before the Supreme Court, which subsequently delivered a split verdict in October.

(With PTI inputs)