A school principal has been suspended while two teachers were handed over termination letters on Thursday for making students sing the Urdu poem ‘lab pe aati hai dua’. However, parents and right-wing groups alleged that their children were made to offer namaz.
On April 19, angry parents and right-wing organisations gathered outside the gates of BLS International School in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, alleging that their students were being taught Islamic teachings.
Self-proclaimed Hindu leader Deepak Sharma led the protest. He claimed that students were forced to wear burkha every day and demanded immediate police action against the school.
Parents flashed posters such as ‘I am not secular’, ‘BLS Principal, Chairman and Staff Apologise’ and ‘Make kids read Hanuman Chalisa, Save Hindu Religion’ in front of the school.
The incident happened on April 18. The school conducted a special assembly based on the theme the World Heritage Day and Eid.
The school released a statement stating, “The assembly was conducted for the all-round development of the students. Music, dance and drama skits were organised to make them aware of Indian festivals…Students enacted roles of Shivaji Maharaj, Fatima Sheikh, Symbol of Democracy, Cathedral Church, Taj Mahal, and Elephanta Caves to make everyone aware of the heritage and great personalities…they performed and sang.”
“However, some people misled the parents by stating that namaz was being offered by the students. The poem – lab pe aati hai dua – was sung by the students. We did not offer any namaz or Fatiha as described by the rumours,” the statement stated.
The statement further stated that the principal Sonia McPherson has been suspended while two teachers – Irfan Illahi and Kambar Rizwan – were terminated by the management with immediate effect.
two teachers have been handed over the termination letter (Photo: Twitter/@Benarasiyaa)
“It was a normal program organised in the special assembly of the school. The management has suspended principal Sonia McPherson from the post with immediate effect. An internal committee of the school and the administrative committee have been constituted… which will submit their investigation report regarding the case,” the statement added.
In December last year, school principal Nahid Siddiqui and a teacher Waziruddin were arrested for making his students sing the same poem after a video started circulating on social media groups. The clip shows the part where the children are heard singing the lines ‘mere allah burai se bachaana mujhko’.
In December last year, school principal Nahid Siddiqui and a teacher Waziruddin were arrested for making his students sing the same poem after a video started circulating on social media groups. The clip shows the part where the children are heard singing the lines ‘mere allah burai se bachaana mujhko’.
The poem- Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua – also known as Bachche ki Dua, was composed by Allama Iqbal in 1902. Iqbal was a writer, philosopher, scholar and politician. His Urdu poetry was famous and is considered among the greatest of the twentieth century.
Iqbal’s Bachche ki Dua:
Lap pe aati hai dua ban ke tamanna meri
My heart’s desire comes to my lips as a prayer
Zindgi shama ki surat ho Khudaya meri
God, make my life as one of a candle, a guiding light,
Door duniya ka mere dam se andhera hojaye
My presence would destroy the darkness of this world,
Har jagah mere chamakne se ujala hojaye
And my burning light would illuminate all space
Ho mere dum se yohe mere watan ki zeenat
My actions would be for my country, beautiful and admired
Jistara phool se hoti hai chaman ki zeenat
Just as a flower adds to the beauty of a garden
Zindigi ho meri parwaane ki soorat ya rab
My life would be like that of a moth that loves light and flies into it,
Ilm ki shama se ho mujko mohabat ya rab
O Lord! Such would be my love for Knowledge, O Lord!
Ho mera kaam ghareebon ki himayat karna
I would work not but to help the poor
Dardmandon se, Zaeefon se muhabbat karna
And to fill the lives of the lost and old with love
Mere Allah! Buraee se bachana mujhko
O God, save me from the evil and wrong
Naik jo raah ho us rah pe chalana mujhko
And keep me on the path that is straight and righteous.
