Family of the victim student at the school with local Hindu activists (X)
In a disturbing incident at a missionary school in Ghaziabad on December 4, a teacher allegedly punished a 7th-grade student, by pouring a substance on his face for writing “Jai Shri Ram” on his desk. Conflicting reports from different media outlets suggest that the substance used was either whitener or ink remover.
The minor Hindu student endured the purported abuse for over an hour at the Holy Trinity Church school in Govindpuram. The teacher, identified as Manisha Massey, not only insulted the student but also smeared thinner on his face before the end of the school day, causing irritation to his skin.
Throughout the ordeal, the Hindu student, was in tears and became the subject of ridicule among his classmates due to the actions of the teacher. He expressed fear about the entire incident.
The incident was brought to light when the victim returned home from school, and upon inquiry from his parents about his disheveled appearance, he recounted the entire episode. His parents, concerned about potential skin damage, reported the matter to the school principal.
The parents urged the school to take stringent action against the accused teacher. The Bajrang Dal intervened, supporting the family and the student by organising a protest. Gaurav Singh, the convener of Bajrang Dal, expressed concern about the teacher’s mindset, deeming it detrimental to students. He questioned whether uttering “Jai Shri Ram” should be considered a crime. The police were called to the school.
Ultimately, the accused teacher admitted her actions and issued an apology to both the family and the school administration. In her apology letter, she claimed that she applied only two dots of the fluid, asserting that she harbored no ill intentions.
Nonetheless, school principal Madhulika Joseph took decisive action by terminating the accused teacher and issuing a formal letter regarding the termination. The principal has reassured the victim’s family that measures will be implemented to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. Regrettably, the reported incident has had a discernible impact on the mental well-being of the victim.
On December 1, a similar incident was reported from a missionary school named Saint Mary for taking disciplinary action by suspending four students for uttering ‘Jai Shri Ram’ on its premises. This incident occurred in Mauranipur town, located in the Jhansi district of Uttar Pradesh.
According to reports, students were assigned the task of writing essays on topics of their choice. Four students, comprising three boys and one girl, chose to focus on the construction of the grand Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. During the school prayer, they recited their essays, concluding each with the sacred chant of ‘Jai Shri Ram.’
Read a detailed report on this case by Organiser here.
On December 4, the Chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Priyank Kanoongo, took cognizance of a similar case reported from Ganjbasoda town of Vidisha district in Madhya Pradesh.
From his official X account, Kanoongo informed, “In a program at the Convent School in Ganjbasoda, Vidisha, the children enthusiastically raised slogans of Jai Shri Ram, on which a complaint was received about the school management beating the children and the police not taking any action against it. Based on the complaint, I informed the district administration. Instructions were given to investigate and take action.”
He further added, “Information has been received that action is being taken by the Missionary School against the children and parents based on a false police complaint and threats to this effect are also being made. This is a grave matter, this type of rudeness will not be tolerated, Basoda police and administration should take action. If any child parent or complainant gets threatened now, then please inform me directly, and I will come to Basoda. It is necessary to punish them.”
Readers should know that this is not the only case where a Hindu student has been suspended or has faced punishment for sporting his Hindu religious identity; there have been many such instances in the past. We at Organiser have compiled a list of such cases, which can be accessed here from across the country, where Hindu students witnessed suspension, punishment or any other form of inconvenience for wearing Kalawa, chanting Jai Shri Ram, sporting tilak among other Hindu practices by Missionary and other schools.
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