Education is not only imparting knowledge but a great institution in any society which plays a key role for the healthy social environment and values. It moulds the behavior of an individual on democratic lines and pluralism that leads to uniformity and harmony .
February 3 a day of educational demise in Madya Pardesh, when deliberately a private school divides Hindu and Muslim students on the basis of religion. This is the International School of Bombay in the Khajrana area of Indorere where two separate events are organized for Muslim and Hindu students on February 2 and February 3 respectively. Parents of the Muslim students are totally unaware about this division on religious basis.
It is reported on many media outlets that in this school even in classrooms has a separate sitting plan for Hindu and Muslim students. Some reports uneviled the discrimination even in Annual Magazine of the school regarding the Hindu and Muslim students. In this connection, complaints are lodged against this discrimination to Chief Minister Madhya Pradesh helpline and different relevant educational authorities.
“The Constitution of India guarantees equality of opportunity in education, not equality of exclusion.”
~Articles 14, 15, and 21A
This incident does not happen in vacuum but it systematically cultivated through anti- Muslim policies by the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) from “The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). There are a number of incidents in India when Muslims are treated in an abhorrent manner. For instance CM of Bihar Nitish Kummar insulted a Muslim student while she was in hijab. Recently the CM of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Aditinath remarks about Muslims sparked in India” Kaiday me rho gy to faiday me rho gy.
Recent incident at Kotdwar where Bajrangdal an extremist group tried to lynch a Muslim shopkeeper and when Deepak Kummar protected the life of Muslim they hostage his home and threatened him for his interference in its sacred activities
The school administration issued a statement that the intent behind this segregation is not discrimination but the logistical restraint and the observance of Shab-e-Barat, an important Islamic Observance.This response by the school administration is rejected because of the compliments by the Muslim parents as well as discrimination in classrooms and Magazine that is reported by ‘The Wire’
In conclusion, this flagrant discrimination in educational institutions is not an ordinary violation of our constitution but it will pave the way for the great divide and hatred within Indian society that will shake the very foundations of Indian long-standing democratic and secular traditions.
“Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration into the logic of the present system, or it becomes the practice of freedom.”
~Paulo Freire
