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Is writing an essay on Prophet Mohammed a way to religiously convert children? Head master of a government high school in Nagavi village in Karnataka, Abdu Muafar Bijapur, who offered the winner of such an essay writing competition Rs 5,000 learnt the hard way that it may be seen that way.
The subject of the essay did not go down well with a section of parents who alleged that it was a way of the headmaster to religiously convert the children. It was one of the agitated parents approached the right-wing activist group Sri Ram Sene. The parents said that they want to know the intention behind the competition and accused the headmaster of ‘imposing Islam’ on kids.
On receiving the complaint, the activists group barged into school and hackled the headmaster in front of some 100 odd students.The matter has been raised with the state education department. The education department has ordered an inquiry into the incident.
The Block Education Officer Virupakshappa Naduvinamani told news agency ANI, “I will get the complaint copy from Sri Ram Sene I will also get informed from the headmaster of the school and students and provide them to the deputy director.”
Earlier this year, schools and colleges in Karnataka faced huge protests where students demanded to wear hijab (headscarves) inside campuses while the authorities claimed it was not part of the uniform. The Supreme Court upheld the state government’s ban on the hijab and said the wearing of the hijab by Muslim women is not mandatory in Islam and that the state government was authorized to enforce uniform in educational institutions.
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