India

Hijab, saffron gamcha row disrupts Republic Day event at Jharkhand school

When the teacher asks him what event is it in Hindi, the boy says "Swatantra Diwas (Independence Day)," instead of Gantantra Diwas (Republic Day).

Republic Day celebrations at a school in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad were disrupted when right-wing aligned young boys took objection to hijab-clad Muslim students attending the event.

One of their friends, who is also a student in the school, was allegedly reprimanded by his teacher for wearing a saffron gamcha to the celebrations. The teacher asked him to remove the gamcha and attend the celebrations.

As the Republic Day celebrations were underway, one of his friends, who is believed to be an outsider, recorded the event, showing the hijab-clad girls. He is heard saying, “Yeh log full niqab mein aaya hai, aur koi action nahi leya jaa raha. Per ek ladka kya bhagwa gamcha pehenke aay tho itna bada reaction ho gaya (They came fully covered in niqab, and no action was taken. But if a boy comes wearing a saffron gamcha, there is such a big reaction).”

In an apparent dig at Hindu students choosing to remain calm, he says, “Saara Hindu yahan mar gaya. Aadha se zyada bacha yahan per Hindu hai. Koi zinda nahi hai (All the Hindus here are dead. More than half the children here are Hindu. No one is alive).”

The camera then focuses on the teacher. Initially, the teacher ignores the recorder, but after some time, the teacher asks him to switch it off.

When he does not obey, the teacher is heard saying, “Aaj kaunsa diwas hai? (What event is today?)”

To which the boy replies, “Swatantra Diwas (Independence Day),” instead of “Gantantra Diwas (Republic Day).”

The teacher tries to explain the importance of Republic Day, but in vain. Later, he tells him to leave the premises.

But the recorder continued his demand to drive away hijab-clad students. “Agar niqab bahar nahi kiya tho kal se school mein poora Hindu dharam ka niyam chalega. (Bhagavad) Gita se padai hoga agar (If the niqab is not removed, then from tomorrow the entire school will follow Hindu religious rules. Teaching will be done from the (Bhagavad) Gita,” he says.

The video ends when the teacher says, “Tum school ka vidhyarthi nahi hai (You are not a student here).”

This post was last modified on January 31, 2026 7:38 pm

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Veena Nair

Veena Nair is the Online Editor at Siasat.com, where she primarily reports on religious and community-based hate crimes across India. She holds a degree from Sathyabama University, Chennai, and began her career as a software professional before pursuing a Postgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media (IIJNM), Bengaluru. Before joining Siasat.com, Veena worked as a sub-editor at The New Indian Express in Coimbatore. A passionate observer of people and a devoted cat mom.

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