UP: VHP complains about school poem by Iqbal, Pilibhit headmaster suspended
The district administration of Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit has suspended the headmaster of a government primary school in Bisalpur area following a complaint by local VHP workers that the teacher made students recite a religious prayer, usually recited in madrasas, during morning assembly.
According to an inquiry by Bisalpur’s Block Education Officer (BEO) Upendra Kumar on Tuesday, the suspended headmaster, Furqan Ali, 45, made students recite the poem “lab pe aati hai dua”, written in 1902 by Muhammad Iqbal. … “The headmaster was suspended because he was not getting the national anthem sung, and was making students sing a religious prayer.” Denying the allegation, Ali maintained that the national anthem is sung “every day”.…
Ali said the poem by Iqbal is part of the Urdu syllabus for classes I to VIII. “VHP and Hindu Yuva Vahini workers held protests outside the school and at the Collectorate, demanding my removal. I only got a poem, which is part of government school syllabus, sung. My students also raise patriotic slogans such as ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ every day during the assembly.”…
SEE ALSO:
- Recital of Iqbal Poem: Students Protest UP Headmaster’s Suspension (Oct 19, 2019, The Wire)
https://thewire.in/education/recital-of-iqbal-poem-students-protest-up-headmasters-suspension - UP headmaster’s suspension over Iqbal poem reflects absurd patriotic tests faced by India’s Muslims (Oct 19, 2019, Scroll.in)
https://scroll.in/article/941012/up-headmasters-suspension-for-iqbal-poem-reflects-absurd-patriotic-tests-faced-by-indias-muslims - Gujarat Government Cancels Sale Of Properties To Muslims, High Court Stays Orders (Oct 16, 2019, India Tomorrow)
http://www.indiatomorrow.net/eng/gujarat-government-cancels-sale-of-properties-to-muslims-high-court-stays-orders - Trafficking charge against Muslim orphanages in Kerala demolished during CBI enquiry (Oct 18, 2019, National Herald)
https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/amp/story/india%2Ftrafficking-charge-against-muslim-orphanages-in-kerala-demolished-during-cbi-enquiry
