Diversity attacked, school teacher suspended for playing azaan during morning assembly in Mumbai

A school teacher in Mumbai was suspended on Friday, June 16, after parents of  a few students objected to alleged playing of the azaan during the morning assembly. This was reported by The Indian Express. The parents thereafter staged a protest outside Kapol Vidyanidhi International School in the city’s Kandivali area after a purported video of the azaan, the Islamic prayer call was shared on social media.

The Principal of the school, Rashmi Hegde explained that the azaan had been played as an initiative to make students aware about prayers of different religions. “This is a misrepresentation of our attempt,” she said, according to The Indian Express.

As if suspension of the teacher was not enough, the issue has been criminalised. Deputy Commissioner of Police Ajay Kumar Bansal said that a complaint has been filed in the matter and an inquiry is being done, ANI reported.

The protest by the parents was led by Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Yogesh Sagar. The police complaint about hurting religious sentiments was filed by local Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Sawant, according to The Indian Express.

“A teacher belonging to the minority community deciding to play the Azaan from her phone into the loudspeaker during the morning assembly of Friday is not just a mistake,” Sagar told reporters.

Meanwhile, the principal — who herself had explained the act as a means of spreading diversity later is reported to have told parents that the school management was also conducting an inquiry into the matter. “This is a Hindu school and our prayers include Gayatri Mantra and Saraswati Vandana,” the principal said. “We assure that such an instance will not be repeated in the future.”

Related

UP: Teacher booked for making students recite “madrassa type prayer”

FIR against Principal, Teacher after VHP cites recitation of iconic Iqbal poem: UP

Nashik police prohibit Hanuman Chalisa just before and after Azaan