Uttarakhand: Teachers on Eid taught students, ‘How to offer Namaz’; 6 similar cases reported by Organiser in a year

An Eid program organised at a play school in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, has stirred up controversy after a video depicting small children being taught how to offer namaz was circulated widely on social media. The incident has prompted parents to file a complaint against the school, alleging manipulation and confusion about the religion followed by young children. While the school has refuted these claims, the matter has attracted attention from various quarters.

On April 10, 2024, the Learning Ladder Play School, situated in the Civil Lines area of Roorkee, organised a program to celebrate Eid 2024. A video capturing the event surfaced on social media platforms, wherein two teachers wearing hijabs were seen demonstrating namaz in front of the young children. The video, lasting approximately 17 seconds, depicted the teachers guiding the children in offering namaz, with some of them adorned in t-shirts bearing the school’s name.

Following the circulation of the video, concerned parents reached out to Roorkee Kotwali to voice their grievances. One father, speaking to the media, expressed dismay over his daughter’s participation in the prayer session. He highlighted that such an event had not been organised in the past three years, raising questions about its sudden occurrence. The father disclosed that he has lodged a formal complaint with the police, urging for appropriate action to be taken.

Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad activists also joined the aggrieved family and staged a protest against the school’s actions. Protesters accused the school of overstepping its educational role and alleged a conspiracy to influence children’s religious beliefs. Additionally, concerns were raised regarding the encouragement of prayer among young children.

In response to the allegations, Ruchi Handa, the principal of Learning Ladder School, provided clarification regarding the event. Handa clarified that the program aimed to educate upper KG students about Eid celebrations and emphasised that Islamic prayers were not taught during the event.

She underscored that the viral video only captured a segment of the event, which focused on explaining Eid traditions. Handa affirmed that the school has cooperated with the police and removed the video from circulation. She assured that the school remains committed to promoting cultural diversity and will exercise greater caution in organising future events.

The incident at Learning Ladder Play School has sparked debate and raised concerns about religious sensitivities in educational settings. While the school maintains its stance on promoting cultural awareness, the matter underscores the importance of fostering inclusivity and respecting diverse beliefs within the education system. Authorities are currently investigating the complaint filed by the parents to address the issue effectively.

Six similar cases reported by Organiser

Notably, this is not the first instance when such an event is being organised in school promoting Islamic religious beliefs, there have been many such instances in the past.

The Damoh school controversy, where Hindu students were compelled to wear a Hijab, sit in postures like offering namaz and recite Islamic prayers became a national issue last year. A similar incident was reported from Madhya Pradesh’s Guna, on the occasion of Eid Milad-un-Nabi (September 27, 2023). At a private school, Hindu students were seen wearing Hijab, singing Islamic songs and preaching lessons and sayings in Islam. The video of the said performances went viral in the town and then the local Hindu activists assembled at the school. Prince Global Private School, located in the Cantt area of the town organised a cultural event celebrating Eid. The event was organised a day before Eid (September 27). Videos went viral from the event showing, that Hindu students are in different Muslim attires such as little girls wearing hijabs, others wearing green dupattas and some singing Islamic songs. After the video of the incident went viral, the local Hindu activists called for a widespread protest demanding action against the school administration.

In a similar case reported in October 2023, Hindu students studying at a private school in Ahemadabad were made to recite the Islamic prayer ‘Lap pe aai hai dua..’ in a pose like offering Namaz. This led to tensions as Hindu activists protested and a video of them allegedly beating a teacher went viral. The government ordered a probe after Hindu students were allegedly asked to perform namaz as part of an awareness program at a private school here. The state government ordered an inquiry into the program organised at Kalorex Future School, located in the Ghatlodia area of the city, on September 29.

Days after Bakrid, an Islamic festival observed on June 28, 2023, a series of videos emerged where Hindu students were seen offering Islamic prayers. In a viral video from Karnataka’s Gyansagar International School, students can be seen sitting in lane, while Surah-Al-Fatiha is being chanted behind. Later on, students depict the story behind the festival wearing Hijab. By the end of the clip, the principal of the school addresses the students by telling them about Islam and Bakrid.

Following the festival of Bakrid a private school sparked controversy in Gujarat’s Kutch district. The school organised an event where Hindu students were seen offering Namaz on Bakrid. The incident came to light after a video of the said event went viral on social media. Amidst rising outrage, the Pearl School in Mundra deleted copy of the video from their Facebook handle and the principal was also suspended with immediate effect.

The viral video showed how Hindu students were asked to offer Namaz after wearing skull caps in the school event. Some of the students had put handkerchiefs on their hands and they were seen exchanging greetings, while one of them told about the festival from the back.

Visuals of a protest outside an international school in the Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh showed up on April 19, 2023. The parents and the Hindu activists demanded the school be sealed and shut down. They were raged over the fact that Hindu students were forced on reciting Quranic verses at the school prayer.

There was anger among the parents about making the students offer Namaz in the school. They also demanded action against the teacher who reportedly asked the students to recite the Quranic verses.