SRINAGAR: Two female students are among three injured during protests in a government school in north Kashmir’s Baramulla town.
Students of the Government Girls Higher Secondary School Baramulla were demanding that their former principal, who was transferred a few days ago, be brought back.
Witnesses told Freepress that the school’s new principal allegedly beat up the protesting students in a frenzy inside the school campus.
One of the injured girls, Shazneen Manzoor of 10th class alleged that the principal hit her in the head with a stick.
The other student, Shaista Farooq of 12th class was hit by a stone during another round of protests later outside the deputy commissioner or district head’s office. A staff member of the school has also been injured in the melee.
The protests started last week after Javaid Ahmed (the former principal) was transferred. Residents of the area say that Ahmed has been punished over false accusations that he had lured a female teacher from a minority community into changing her religion.
According to them, the lady had converted by her own will but that did not go well with other members of her community who complained against Ahmed.
Subsequently, the new principal, Balbir Singh was sent to take charge which enraged the students.
Qayoom Ahmed, a resident of the area, told Freepress that the lady had converted to Islam eight years ago while Javaid had been posted at the school only for the past two years.
“How could have he forced her to change religion. It is a lie,” he says.
He refuses to believe that it was a regular transfer. “All the other principals have been sent to schools in the district. He has been sent from north Kashmir to the south. It is clearly a punishment.”
But Deputy Commissioner of Baramulla, G.A. Khwaja says the transfer was a routine one.He says he has talked to the higher ups and a quick action will be taken to pacify tempers.
“I am planning to relieve both the principals (former and new) and ask them to report to the directorate of school education. A third person will be asked to take charge.”
