Eid celebrations have been cancelled at a private school in Himachal Pradesh’s capital city, Shimla, following threats from right-wing organisations.
The private school, Auckland House School, had announced Eid celebrations on March 28, the last Friday of Ramzan, from nursery to Class 2. They had asked children to wear a kurta-pyjama, with a small cap. They were also asked to bring roti rolls with paneer, sevaiyan (a sweet dish) and dry fruits for Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations.
However, news of the celebrations soon reached the ears of right-wing organisations, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Dev Bhoomi Sangarsh Samiti, who strongly opposed the idea and alleged there is an “attempt” by the private school to “promote Islam in Himachal Pradesh.”
Representatives of the Dev Bhoomi Sangarsh Samiti claimed the private school’s Eid celebration was a violation of secularism in the Constitution. It threatened the school authorities with legal action and ‘gherao‘ the educational institution, if they moved forward with conducting the festival.
Following the intimidation, the private school authorities have decided to withdraw their decision and cancelled the celebrations stating the safety of their students is their foremost priority.
“The planned Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations for nursery to Class 2 were a part of our efforts to help young students appreciate India’s cultural diversity, just as we celebrate Holi, Diwali, and Christmas. It was intended purely as a cultural learning experience, with no religious rituals, and participation was entirely voluntary,” a statement from the school said.
The private school did not fail to point out misleading messages of the celebrations shared on social media by anti social elements. Expressing concern over a breach of privacy, the school urged the urgent removal of the misleading posts on social media platforms to protect institutional and individual safety.
The school also expressed concerns over these posts, stating that they disclosed restricted information, violated privacy, endangered individuals, breached responsible digital conduct norms, and urged immediate removal to protect institutional and individual safety.
“We call upon all right-thinking members of society to stand against such divisive and unethical actions and to support an education grounded in mutual respect, dignity, and truth,” the statement read.
Himachal Pradesh is ruled by the Congress government with Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu as its chief minister.
Reacting to the whole episode, state education minister Rohit Thakur dismissed the right-wing organisations’ Islamophobic accusations. “This issue is being exaggerated only to provoke communal sentiments. The matter will be investigated. However, the message from the school administration was issued solely with the intent of maintaining communal harmony,” he told the media.
“Today itself, I became aware of this matter through media reports. We will confirm the details, as the school being named is a well-established, reputed convent institution here. Himachal Pradesh is known for its communal harmony and goodwill, and we will ensure that this remains intact,” he added.
