Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, Dec. 12:
A fresh incident of Islamophobia has occurred here, involving a Muslim teacher named Mohammad Adnan, who was terminated from his position at Saiema Mansoor Public School for allegedly not responding appropriately to a Hindu student’s religious greeting of “Ram Ram.” This incident prompted a protest by Hindutva groups outside the school in Parsara village, where they recited the Hanuman Chalisa and chanted “Jai Shri Ram” slogans.
The issue began on Thursday afternoon when a student in Class XI accused Adnan of not reciprocating his ‘Ram Ram’ greeting and instead reprimanding him for the gesture. The situation quickly escalated, leading to the gathering of right-wing groups at the school gates on Saturday. In response, the school principal, Salman Kidwai, took immediate action and dismissed Adnan from his position. The principal issued an apology on behalf of the teacher and pledged to implement measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
To investigate the matter, Hathras district magistrate Archana Verma formed an inquiry committee comprising SDM and a district basic education officer. The committee has been told to file its report within 48 hours.
During a meeting with the authorities, Principal Kidwai stated, “Students from both communities have been studying in our school for the past 30 years, and we have never encountered such accusations before. However, we have relieved Mohammad Adnan of his duties, and the administration has established a probe committee to look into the matter.”
Sadar sub-divisional magistrate Ravendra Kumar clarified, “A student greeted his teacher with ‘Ram Ram,’ but the teacher did not respond. During the inquiry, the principal tendered an apology and promised to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future. The district magistrate has ordered an investigation into the incident, and the school management has taken action by dismissing the teacher.”
The police took cognizance of the incident through social media on Friday. According to ASP Ashok Kumar Singh, an inquiry was conducted by the police, but no negative information was found. To delve deeper into the matter, the DM has established a panel for investigation, and appropriate measures will be taken based on their findings. A significant police force has been deployed at the location to enable smooth investigation and address any community tensions.