School principal's 'speak in English' directive sparks FIR and protests in MP's Guna
Guna: A directive from Sister Catherine, the principal of Vandana Convent School in Guna, Madhya Pradesh, to "speak in English" has led to significant unrest, including an FIR and protests by ABVP activists.
The controversy began when Sister Catherine directed students to speak in English during the school assembly, a common directive in English-medium schools. However, this incident escalated after local daily Patrika published a report alleging that the principal “snatched the mic” from a student reciting a Sanskrit shloka. The report resulted in ABVP activists storming the school, demanding an apology from the principal, and the police filing an FIR against her for "hurting religious sentiments."
The incident unfolded at Vandana Convent School, one of the oldest English-medium schools in the district, two days after the Patrika article was published. The ABVP activists demanded that the school be shut down or that students recite the "Jai Shri Ram" slogan in the school assembly every day. Guna District Education Officer CS Sisodia also issued a show-cause notice threatening action against the school.
Sister Catherine clarified that the directive was a standard practice to encourage students to improve their English-speaking skills. "I asked the students to give their speeches in English, not to offend anyone’s religious sentiments," she explained. "If anyone was hurt, I apologize."
Despite her explanation, ABVP activists continued their protest, insisting on an apology from the principal. Sister Catherine noted that ABVP leader Saksham Dubey insisted on students reciting the "Jai Shri Ram" slogan and threatened further action against the school.
The school staff defended the principal, stating that it was a "normal directive" and that the local daily had published "fake news." They said that the school promotes linguistic skills in various languages, including Hindi and Sanskrit, and that designated days for public speaking in different languages are a regular part of the school curriculum.
The Patrika report, headlined "Convent school main Hindi Bolne par bachhon ke hath se cheena mic (Mic was snatched from students for speaking Hindi in convent school)," did not include details about the school's protocol for designated language days or the principal's prior instructions.
The school's alumni condemned the actions of the ABVP and the filing of the FIR. Harbeer Singh Sood, an alumnus and secretary of Guru Singh Sabha, described the incident as "given a political angle" and an "unfair FIR." Other alumni, including senior software engineer Rohit Rakhan and scientific officer Rajeev Dua, praised the school for its inclusive approach and commitment to quality education.
The school has responded to the DEO notice and sought protection from the district collector and superintendent of police. Despite police assurances, ABVP members continued their protest until Sister Catherine issued an apology. The matter remains under investigation.
ABVP members, after forcing the principal to apologize, allegedly further escalated the situation by urging some of the schoolchildren to join them in chanting "Jai Shri Ram."
Inputs from a story by News Laundry
ABVP members didn't stop there. After barging into the school campus and forcing the principal to apologize, they urged some school kids to join them and chant "Jai Shri Ram." https://t.co/DYe8hBiBn1 pic.twitter.com/sIm3um6XHF
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Mamata visits Bhabanipur EVM strong room, warns against counting irregularities
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee early Friday warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process, hours after she visited an EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice.
Banerjee, who emerged around 12:07 am after spending nearly four hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency housed in Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, said only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area.
"Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media," she told reporters.
Stressing the need for transparency, she said, "It is essential to maintain transparency. People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter."
Sounding a stern note ahead of the May 4 counting, she added, "If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."
On Thursday evening, Banerjee had reached the Bhabanipur Assembly segment counting centre, which houses the strong room for EVMs used in the April 29 polling, citing suspicion of tampering with the machines.
She entered the premises along with her election agent and remained inside for hours, even as Kolkata Mayor and TMC candidate from the Kolkata Port segment Firhad Hakim reached the spot but could not meet her.
"I reached here upon learning that the chief minister has arrived. But I couldn’t meet her since she was already inside the premises, exercising her right as a candidate to visit strong rooms. I wasn’t allowed there. I will not be able to confirm what exactly is transpiring inside," Hakim said.
The development coincided with protests by TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata, where they staged a sit-in alleging irregularities and possible tampering of EVMs stored in strong rooms, leading to face-offs between TMC and BJP supporters.
Earlier in a video message, Banerjee had urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tension in the state following a fiercely contested Assembly election, with parties closely monitoring arrangements and raising concerns over transparency.
