Gurugram: A teacher at Saraswati Vidya Mandir School in Haryana’s Panipat has been dismissed following complaints by parents that she allegedly taught Kalma to Class 8 students.
It has been alleged that Sanskrit teacher Mahzeeb Ansari, also addressed in the school as “Mahi”, conducted a lecture after the morning assembly two days ago, during which she is said to have taught the students to recite the Islamic verses.
After some students purportedly recited the Islamic verses at home, concerned parents came together to approach the school authorities Saturday, accompanied by members of right-wing outfit Hindu Mahasabha. The police also arrived at the scene.
During discussions with school administration and Ansari, parents said that such actions would not be tolerated, demanding the teacher’s removal. School principal Indu Bala then dismissed Ansari, relieving her from her duties immediately.
The principal told ThePrint over the phone that Ansari had been employed at the school as a Sanskrit instructor for a year.
Claiming that “Mahi” wasn’t at fault, the principal recounted that when questioned about the incident, she expressed remorse and explained that she was only responding to students’ questions about Muslim worship practices.
“Mahi claimed that students had asked her how Muslims worship, comparing it to Hindu practices of singing aartis and reciting Hanuman Chalisa, and she had shared one line of the Kalma to satisfy the curiosity of her students,” Bala said.
Ansari told local media that her only fault was that she was trying to satisfy the curiosity of the students, which is her duty as a teacher. She said that despite being innocent, she apologised to the parents because she wanted to continue with her job, and not let the situation escalate.
Some parents were also angry about why the teacher was being addressed as “Mahi” when she had a Muslim name. “I clarified to them that the school records mentioned her complete name—Mahzeeb Ansari—but it was because her actual name was lengthy that she was called ‘Mahi’ in the school,” the principal said.
Bala added that although “Mahi” was not at fault and had only told her students about the Kalma to answer their query, she apologised to the parents and said that she wanted to continue with her job. “However, I was left with no choice since the parents, and the Hindu Mahasabha activists accompanying them, demanded immediate dismissal of the teacher.”
Even as police personnel were present in the school, the matter was resolved through mediation, and no further action was taken after Ansari’s dismissal. A police spokesperson told ThePrint that they had not received any complaint in the matter.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
This teacher seems to have been inspired by the likes of Prof. Ali Khan Mahmudabad (Ashoka University).
But the school should have reprimanded her with a strict warning and the issue could have finished there. Expelling her was an overreaction.
The incident if true shows the rotten mindset of religious prejudice and paranioa. It also shows how deeply the rot has set in the society accentuated by continuous propaganda.
Even answering an innocent question and reciting the kalma or a shlok or a hymn is not a crime. The article indicates that teacher is innocent of any wrongdoing or coercive action.
The perpetrators who are religious extremists should be brought to the book instead.
This kind of inverted justice where the teacher is dismissed instead of the actual wrongdoers is a very poor reflection on the society.