MP govt suspends pvt school’s licence over hijab row in Damoh, CM warns such institutions will not be allowed to run in the state

On May 31, the Madhya Pradesh government had ordered a probe after controversy erupted over the uniform of a private school in the district, with some claiming that a part of it resembled the hijab.

hijab row in Damoh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Madhya Pradesh government, Indian Express, India news, current affairs

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan

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The Madhya Pradesh government has suspended the recognition of a private school in Damoh following allegations that female students were forced to wear hijab.

On May 31, the Madhya Pradesh government had ordered a probe after controversy erupted over the uniform of a private school in the district, with some claiming that a part of it resembled the hijab.

On Friday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan while addressing an event in Chhatarpur district said a school forcing female students to wear a head scarf will not be allowed to function in the state.

“I was told that girls in Damoh were told to wear a scarf and then come to school. They were also teaching poetry of a man who talked about the division of the country. I want to warn you that in Madhya Pradesh such things (institutions) will not be allowed to operate. The education policy that has been enacted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi government will only be followed and if someone teaches something wrong, or if any daughter is forced to wear a scarf, then such a school will not be allowed to function in Madhya Pradesh,” Chouhan warned.

The District Education Officer, (Damoh) on Friday sent a letter, post inspection, to the non-governmental educational institution — Ganga Jamuna Higher Secondary School — stating “it has been reported that the prescribed criteria mentioned in the Recognition Rules 2017 and Recognition Amendment Rules 2020 were not being not followed in the school.”

The letter stated that the school lacked proper library, proper practical materials of physics/chemistry, proper arrangement of separate toilets and pure drinking water for 1,208 boys and girls registered in the school and also old furniture were being used in separate laboratory rooms of physics and chemistry.

“As a result of prima facie non-compliance of conditions and responsibilities and instructions issued from time to time, the school’s licence is suspended with immediate effect.,” the letter stated.

Earlier, it had been alleged that a poster in school showed girls, including Hindu students, wearing headscarves that looked like hijab.

At that time the local district officials including the district collector had stated that “though there were allegations of religious conversion but it was not found to be true.”