JE News Desk: A teacher at the Kapol Vidyanidhi International School in Mumbai's Kandivali was suspended on Friday for allegedly playing the Azaan during the morning assembly. Following objections from the parents of the students, the incident has also sparked a political controversy, leading to protests at the school.
A video, purportedly from the school's assembly session in Mahavir Nagar, went viral on Friday morning, where the sound of an Islamic prayer being played on loudspeakers could be heard. One of the parents protesting stated, "Most of us come here for morning walks. Hearing the Azaan during the morning prayer was extremely unusual".
According to a report by Indian Express, quoting Dr Reshma Hegde, the school principal, it was an initiative to educate students about prayers from different religions. "This is a misrepresentation of our intentions," she stated, as quoted by the Indian Express.
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Addressing the protesting crowd, Hegde said, "The teacher has been suspended and an enquiry has been initiated. This is a Hindu school and our prayers include Gayatri Mantra and Saraswati Vandana. We assure that such an instance will not be repeated in the future."
However, agitated parents denied having any prior information about such an initiative. "None of us were informed about it," said one parent, adding that they would have objected if they had been informed. "We send our children to this Hindu school. There was no need to play an Islamic prayer. Will there be any Hindu prayer in a Madrasa?" asked another disgruntled parent.
The parents' protest was led by local BJP MLA Yogesh Sagar. Meanwhile, local Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Sawant filed a complaint with the police, alleging that the school is attempting to convert students, which has hurt the sentiments of the parents.
MLA Yogesh Sagar arrived at the school gate, and the protestors subsequently entered the school campus, demanding to meet the principal. "A teacher belonging to the minority community deciding to play the Azaan from her phone into the loudspeaker during the morning assembly of Friday is not just a mistake. There is democracy in this country but we will not let it be exploited like this," said Sagar, as quoted by Indian Express.
Local corporator Pratibha Girkar said, "Not only is this a Hindu school, there has never been a practice of playing any Islamic prayer in this school. The school administration is reasoning with us that it was not aware of it. But how can a teacher decide to play the Azaan on loudspeakers of the school without any knowledge of the administration?".