A case of teaching Kalima to Hindu students during morning prayer came to light in a private school in Kanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. Hindu organizations sprinkled ‘gangajal’ on the school for its purification.
After an uproar by the parents and the Hindu organizations including Bajrang Dal, commissionerate police and administrative officers reached the spot.
According to the principal, the school diary has prayers belonging to every religion and every student recites them. “This is a process that has been going on for years,” added the principal.
After the matter came to light, the school administration assured that there would be no prayers in the school in future.
School manager Ankita also assured the administrative officers that in future there would be no morning prayers.
According to a parent whose child studies in the school, “I have taught my child in many schools but I have never seen Kalma being taught in any of those schools.” The parent demanded action in the matter.
ACP Sisamau Nishant Sharma said that he took cognizance of this whole matter and the school administration has stopped the prayer. “National Anthem was sung today in school,” the ACP said.
As per the rules, action will be taken if a parent gives a written complaint, said ACM A Saroj. However, no official complaint has been filed in the matter.
“The incident came to light after a tweet that mentioned Kalma is being taught to Hindu students in morning prayer. We talked to the school administration late last night. The administration and students told us that they have been being taught prayers related to all four religions for 12 years but no one objected it. However, the school has been ordered to stop all prayers after a complaint by one of the parents,” ACP Sisamau Nishank Sharma added.
BJP Mahila Morcha’s Geeta Nigam said that the school did not teach kalma during the online classes as the students used to be with their parents.
Angry over the whole issue, Geeta Nigam said, “If you want to teach Muslim prayers, go and teach in Madarsa. The meaning of the kalima being taught to the students is that there is only one god that is Allah and that there is no one except Allah.”
The BJP Mahila Morcha also demanded the school principal to apologise.