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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Sringeri postal ballot recount: Votes tampered with, alleges D.K. Shivakumar
Hospet: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Sunday alleged large-scale tampering of postal ballots in the Sringeri constituency.
Speaking to the media near the Tungabhadra Dam, he said, “A large-scale crime has taken place in Sringeri. Tampering has been done using officials. More than 200 ballot papers have been tampered with.”
He further alleged that postal ballots were manipulated despite signatures being recorded during counting, calling it a “shame for the country.”
“They have tampered with the votes of our MLAs. Similar tampering has taken place in Jayanagar too. This is an insult to democracy. There should be a thorough investigation into this. The law will take its course. We will go to court,” he said.
