BY TC News Desk
Agartala, August 04: Tensions flared in Bishalgarh Sub-division when members of the minority community staged a protest in front of Koroimura Higher Secondary School.
The demonstration was sparked by allegations that the school principal, purportedly influenced by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), had asked minority girl students not to wear Hijab on the premises.
One of the protestors, speaking with reporters, claimed that local youths had been consistently threatening minority girl students for days, instructing them not to wear hijab at school. According to the protestor, even some teachers had joined in, forbidding Muslim students from wearing hijabs and stating that they had received orders to enforce this rule.
Another parent alleged that the directive from the teachers came after a group of youths entered the school and threatened violence if any students were found wearing hijab. Consequently, the school principal supposedly declared that students wearing hijabs would not be allowed inside the school.
Principal Priatosh Nandi of Koroimura HS School stated, “During the protests, a group of individuals from a particular community entered the school premises and engaged in acts of vandalism, damaging furniture and other items. It is important to note that there is no official rule or restriction against wearing hijab in our school. I reported the incident to other senior officials and the police for appropriate action. Approximately 10 days prior to the incident, representatives from the VHP visited me and raised concerns about students wearing hijab, despite the existence of a school uniform policy. I explained that due to the school’s location in a predominantly Muslim area, some students choose to wear hijab as a reflection of their cultural and religious beliefs. Nevertheless, the VHP requested that I direct the students not to wear hijab”.
Police said, “When minority girl students went to school wearing hijab, some boys from a Hindu outfit objected to it. Then, some Muslim youths were annoyed and discussed the matter with the principal. We have called for a peace meeting, and everything is under control.”
