A government school teacher in Madhya Pradesh's Burhanpur district was suspended after being accused of teaching Hindu students the Islamic practice of namaz under the guise of yoga and Surya Namaskar. The incident has sparked a political and communal controversy in the region, prompting the district administration to initiate an investigation.
The teacher, however, has denied the charges, saying that the yoga posture in question was Shashankasana, a standard asana that may have been mistaken for namaz by some parents.
The teacher, Jaboor Tadvi, posted at the Government Middle School in Deohari village under Shahpur police station limits, was suspended on Friday following protests by members of the Hindu Jagran Manch.
According to officials, during the Diwali holidays, some villagers and parents alleged that students were being made to perform postures resembling namaz in the name of yoga. Acting on these complaints, the school's in-charge principal informed the District Education Officer, who sent a team to prepare a report on the matter.
Soon after, representatives of the Hindu Jagran Manch reached the village and accused the Muslim teacher of "teaching namaz to Hindu children under the guise of Surya Namaskar" and "encouraging religious conversion." They demanded immediate action.
Burhanpur district administration suspended Tadvi pending inquiry. Veer Singh Chauhan, Additional Collector, confirmed the action and said, "We received information regarding the incident. The concerned teacher has been suspended and an investigation has been initiated."
Hindu Jagran Manch's district coordinator Ajit Pardeshi alleged that the teacher's activities were deliberate: "A government teacher was making children perform postures resembling namaz under the pretext of yoga. I spoke to students myself. The principal also failed to notice these activities. Hindu sentiments are hurt, and this is wrong."
In a social media statement, Jaboor Tadvi denied all allegations, calling them "completely baseless." He claimed that he was following government instructions to teach yoga to students and that the confusion arose because of a particular asana Shashankasana, which visually resembles one of the namaz postures. "The children were simply practising yoga. The pose was mistaken for namaz. Suspending me without hearing my side is unjust," Tadvi wrote.
Several Muslim social workers and community representatives have now come forward in support of Tadvi, demanding an impartial inquiry and urging the administration to verify facts before taking disciplinary action.
from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/H74L3hJ
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