Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has recommended making singing of the national anthem mandatory in all schools of Madhya Pradesh.
The Commission has also recommended an enquiry with respect to schools where 'mazar-like' structures have been constructed, stopping the practice of allowing Muslim students to leave the school premises for offering namaz and a probe to determine whether PFI and SIMI are active in the Kurwai town of Vidisha district in the state.
These recommendations were made by the NCPCR following the visit of the commission's chairperson Priyank Kanoongo to the Government CM Rise School at Kurwai (Vidisha) on Thursday.
Kanungo visited the school, taking cognizance of a report published in a Hindi daily, saying that a ‘Mazaar-numa-chabutra’ has been constructed on the school premises by Banne Khan, a retired sports teacher of the school and the husband of the Principal in-charge, Shahina Firdaus. The report also said that singing of the National Anthem and other patriotic songs were banned in the school.
The NCPCR reached to the conclusion that the allegations regarding the mazaar and the ban on National Anthem were true.
The Commission also found that the Muslim boys in the school were permitted to leave at 1 PM on every Friday for Namaz. Further, there was a room dedicated in the school for the namaz and the principal and some teachers used to offer Namaz in that room.
The Commission also concluded that the District Education Officer, Vidisha was 'inefficient' and had a biased approach in matters related to mazaar. The Commission recommended that the DEO be removed till all the mazars in all the schools in the district are removed. It also recommended lodging of an FIR against the school principal, who has since been transferred to another school, and her husband for encroaching upon government land and building and unauthorised structure.
The Commission also noted that the school had a high dropout rate, especially of Muslim students, and recommended that the dropouts be traced and re-admitted to the school. It also wants that the students must be counselled and co-curricular activities should be organised in the school.
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