2 TEACHERS UNDER FIRE FOR PRINTING BLASPHEMOUS SKETCHES

A highly sensitive issue was simmering and simmering and it came to a boil when an imaginary sketch of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be with him) was discovered in a Hindi question paper meant for Test of the pupils of First Unit of Std. III in Hamdard Public School here, Urdu daily Hindustan Express reported on August 5.

Taking urgent notice of the incident, the school administration formed an enquiry committee headed by Professor Syed Aftab Ahmad Zaidi, who probed into the matter very keenly. On the basis of the findings of the committee the class teacher Ms Jaya Deva and examination in-charge Ms Safiya Tariq were suspended.

The question was set under the supervision of the class teacher on the basis of Hindi textbook published by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Though the chapter dealing with the Prophet (peace be with him) and his holy Companions present all their salient qualities but the publisher has included their imaginary sketches at four places in the book.

The chief patron of the school and renowned educationist Sayyid Hamid told the paper that the school administration has decided to formally lodge a complaint with IGNOU with a request to drop the objectionable sketches from the textbook. Why the school prescribed such a book containing objectionable sketches is the question that remains to be answered.