Mafta row: Principal suspended

Mafta row: Principal suspended





Alappuzha:The school management of the Believers Church English Medium School, Alappuza suspended principal Mary Jessintha on the maftha row in which a standard nine student of the school T N Nabeela was given TC for wearing maftha (head veil). Nabeela was issued a transfer certificate for wearing the maftha mentioning that wearing maftha is not allowed in the school. The move is on the basis of meeting convened here lead by district collector. Principal not attended the meeting. Earlier based on the report of the district administration which went into the incident, Director of Public Instruction (DPI) A P M Muhammad Haneesh has asked Alappuzha District Collector P Venugopal to convene a meeting between the girl's parents and the school management to sort out the issue.

Nabala, a 10th student of an English-medium school run by Believers' Church at Mannanchery near here, had complained
that she was given compulsory TC last month as she insisted on wearing headscarf (mafta) as followed by Islam.

The school authorities, however, denied the charge holding that the TC was sought by the girl's parents after she
was promoted to the 10th standard. Even now, the school was ready to take her back, a church official said.

Lebi Philip Mathew, PRO of the Church, said there was no basis to the charge that the school had been religiously
discriminating against students.

He said it was the girl's parents and some people who came along with them who insisted that the reason for giving
the TC be shown as 'headscarf not allowed in the school.''We have 150 Muslim students, many of whom attend classes with headscarf. We have not objected to it. In this particular context, it is difficult to understand the provocation (from the parent's side). This appears to be anattempt to tarnish the institution,' he told PTI from the Church's headquarters in Tiruvalla.

Meanwhile, the state Human Rights Commission has intervened in the matter and sought an explanation from the
DPI on the issue.














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