Damoh (Madhya Pradesh): Hindu students & their parents rebutted all allegations levelled against Damoh’s Ganga Jamuna school by right-wing groups.
The students of the school said that they were not forced to wear Hijab as claimed by media reports. And, merely singing prayers does not lead to conversion, they asserted.
On May 27, 2023, a poster caught the attention of right-wing Hindu groups in which the Hindu girls were seen wearing Hijab.
On June 21, many parents went to meet the DM to demand that the school should be reopened.
Students Not Forced To Wear Hijab
“We weren’t forced to wear a hijab. A scarf was part of the dress code. I often went without it, and, no one ever said anything to us," said Rupali Sahu. She is among the class 10th toppers whose photo triggered controversy.
Studying At Hindu School Didn't Make Me Hindu
Defending her school, another student Meena Naaz said, “I have studied in a Hindu school, I was asked to recite Saraswati puja & prayers and I have done it. I have visited temples as a part of school trips. I have done all this. But, that did not convert me to Hinduism. If you go to Saraswati Shishu Mandir school, they have a different culture, if you go to Guru Nanak School, they recite gurbani. Every School has a different culture, Ganga Jamuna has its culture.
The Principal of Ganga Jamuna school, Afsha Sheikh said that “We are mentally very disturbed because of all this. No media is showing reality.”
Ganga Jamuna School trust member Shiv Dayal Dubey said that, “A school where 61 out of 65 students top their exams is a big achievement. It is their job to create discord on the basis of religion.”
Parents Say Ganga Jamuna School Is Affordable
A student's father, Vikram Thakur was asked “Your daughter used to wear a scarf, was she ever bothered about it? He said “She never wore the scarf and no one bothered her to wear it. I have tried to get the children admitted in another school but the fees there are over Rs. 50,000 for all three of my children but in Ganga Jamuna, I paid Rs 20,000 for all my children with one child’s fees being waived off”.
Few days back, the school courted controversy for allegedly forcing the Hindu students and teacher to wear Hijab and to change their religion. After the issue came to light, MP Child Rights Protection Commission (MPCRPC) probed the allegations.
Similarly, the National Child Rights Protection Commission dashed off a letter to the collector of the district to cancel the school’s affiliation.
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