The principal of a government school and a Shiksha Mitra were both arrested in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, for “hurting religious sensibilities”
After a video of students reciting Muhammad Iqbal’s “Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua” poetry during the morning assembly went viral, the principal of a government school and a Shiksha Mitra were both arrested in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, for “hurting religious sensibilities.” Additionally, the Education Department has placed Shiksha Mitra Wazeeruddin under investigation and suspended the school’s principal, Nahid Siddiqui.
An FIR was filed against Siddiqui and Wazeeruddin at the Fareedpur police station in response to a complaint made by Sompal Singh Rathore, a local Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) official, who claimed that a “religious prayer” was said at the public school in an effort to convert the children.
Muhammad Iqbal, popularly known as Allama Iqbal, authored the song “Saare Jahaan Se Achcha,” and also wrote “Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua” in 1902.
A prayer was being recited which said something like, ‘Allah ibadat karna’. This is not the stipulated prayer, and hence school principal Nahid Siddiqui has been suspended. I have also ordered a probe against the Shiksha Mitra,” Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA), Bareilly, Vinay Kumar said.
The VHP worker complained to the police, alleging, “teachers Nahid Siddiqui and Wazeeruddin were making the students reciter prayer as per Muslim method with an intention to hurt sentiments of the Hindus… This is being done by the two teachers to attract students toward Islam… Both the teachers are hurting the sentiments of Hindus and preparing for the students’ conversion.”
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There are 265 students enrolled in Classes 1 through 8 at the government school where the alleged incident occurred.
Meanwhile, Nahid Siddiqui, 62, claimed that she was absent from school on December 12 because of an absence from work.
“I was on medical leave. Before I went on leave, we recited the stipulated prayer ‘Ae Shakti Humein Dena Data’ every day along with the national anthem. In my absence, the Shiksha Mitra got ‘Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua’ (by Muhammad Iqbal) recited during the morning assembly. In the past, when the Shiksha Mitra asked me to get this prayer recited, I refused,” said Siddiqui, who is set to retire next March. “I am set to retire on March 31. I have been waiting for my retirement as I am suffering from multiple ailments like high blood pressure and diabetes. I have fractured my leg thrice and I can’t walk without crutches,” she added.
A local VHP worker filed a complaint alleging that the headmaster of a government primary school in the Bisalpur neighbourhood of Pilibhit had forced students to recite a religious prayer that is typically recited in madrasas three years ago, in October 2019. The headmaster was subsequently suspended. The students also recited “Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua” by Allama Iqbal in that instance.
