After the controversial poster of a Damoh-based school in which the Hindu girls could be seen wearing a Hijab went viral, Priyank Kanoongo, the head of the National Child Right Protection Commission (NCPCR) circulated the letter, claiming that the school management was lying and that the girls were indeed wearing hijab.
Kanoongo tweeted, “It was not a scarf it is a Hijab, don’t spread lies Haji Idris! The investigation is going on. Today the state Children’s Commission will be arriving in Damoh. Whatever you want to confess, say there, influencing media and inciting public sentiments and gaining sympathy will not going to work here”.
The NCPCR chairperson took note of the situation and yesterday wrote a letter to the District Magistrate requesting submission of the action taken report within a week.
In the Damoh hijab case, the Hindu females were seen wearing Hijabs on posters of meritorious students from a private school, as well as in multiple images on Facebook in which the school administrator Haji Mohammad Idris stated that the children were wearing scarves, not hijabs today (June 1, 2023).
School administrator Haji Mohammad in a letter said “A scarf is a part of the school uniform, though it’s not mandatory to wear the scarf. School girls wear it as a scarf and even some girls wear it as a dupatta. They are not forced to wear it, they have worn it with their own will”. He said.
Damoh Collector Mayank Agarwal has stepped in to solve the crisis as soon as possible, realising the seriousness of the situation. A committee of officials from several departments, including the Nagar Palika (Municipal Corporation) and the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), has been constituted by the office.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has ordered a probe into a poster shown by a private school in the Damoh district depicting schoolgirls, regardless of faith, wearing hijab. The poster shows meritorious female students on their board exam success.
Read More: A Hindu Boy Punished for Chanting ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ in a Catholic School
Following the Collector’s strong action against the Damoh fundamentalist school, the school administration has removed the scarf and hijab from the outfit. Songs such as Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua have also been prohibited. Simultaneously, just the national anthem will be played during morning prayer.
The School administration claimed that it is a part of the Uniform and the scarf, not a hijab. Also, the administration mentioned that neither the girls are forced to wear the scarf nor their parents have lodged any objection regarding the cloth. They used to wear the scarf only to cover their head and nothing.
Hijab/Scarf row
On May 31, 2023, a controversy erupted in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district after posters depicted students who had topped the Madhya Pradesh Board Examinations wearing hijab.
The majority of the girls wore a scarf that resembled a hijab, and their names on the posters suggest that they are Hindu and Jain, females.
After these posters depicting school children wearing hijab went viral, the Madhya Pradesh government ordered an investigation.
Read More: Damoh School Poster Row: Scarf Is a Part Of the School Uniform and Is Not A Hijab
Notably, since 2021, Hindu organisations have been protesting against the school administration. They alleged that the students were instructed as though they were in a Madrasa. Hindu women were forced to wear hijabs, while boys were taught how to recite namaz. There has not yet been any legal action taken against the school administration.
