Play ‘depicting burqa-clad women as terrorists' at I-Day event in Gujarat school kicks up a row
Bhavnagar District Education Officer (DEO) Hitendrasinh D Padheriya on Tuesday sent a notice to Bhavnagar Municipal School Board Administrative Officer (AO) Munjal Badmaliya seeking a factual report within seven days on the programme held at the school, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Pratmik Shala Number 51 in Kumbharwada area of Bhavnagar city.
The notice was issued based on the representation made by a social organisation, Bandharan Bachav Samiti Bhavnagar, which alleged that the play 'depicted the Muslim community as terrorists' and demanded stern action against the 'teachers behind the play'.
In the notice sent to Bhavnagar Municipal School Board Administrative Officer (AO) Munjal Badmaliya, the DEO sought details of the cultural programme at the school and asked whether the depiction as stated in the representation was intentional or unintentional, along with details of the function held on the school campus.
Confirming the development, Padheriya told The Indian Express, 'The representation, marked to the District Collector, Municipal Commissioner and DEO on Monday, stated that there was a deliberate depiction of muslims as terrorists during the cultural programme held at the school on August 15. To find out facts and details, I have sought an explanation from the Administrative Officer within seven days.'
The all-girls school in Bhavnagar with an enrollment of more than 600 students has come under spotlight after videos of the cultural programme appeared on social media.
In its representation, Bandharan Bachav Samiti Bhavnagar alleged 'an attempt by the school staff to hurt religious sentiments and spread unrest in the public'.
'At Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Prathmik Shala Number 50-51 in Bhavnagar's Kumbharwada area, a play was presented by the children….. In this play, Kashmiri pilgrims as well as the Army and terrorists were depicted. In the play, girls dressed in Muslim attire (burqa) were shown as terrorists, clearly depicting the Muslim community as terrorists,' Bandharan Bachav Samiti said in the representation.
The Samiti added that there is a lot of anger and protest in the Muslim community against the teachers, who, it said, showed their criminal mentality by staging such a play in the school.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Jehurbhai Hussainbhai Jeja, the president of Bandharan Bachav Samiti, said, 'The Muslim community demands that all those school staff behind this act should be suspended and strict legal action should be taken so that no such unconstitutional act is committed in the future.'
When contacted, the Administrative Officer, Munjal Badmaliya, said, 'The cultural programmes are held every year on January 26 and August 15. This year it was themed on Operation Sindoor and the bravery of our defence forces, and programmes were held in every school. Nothing was intentional or deliberate. We will submit our response to the notice.'
There are over 30,000 students enrolled in 68 municipal schools in Bhavnagar city. This year as a part of Operation Sindoor celebration, school students sent Rakhis and letters to the soldiers from Gujarat. From Bhavnagar district alone, over 2 lakh school students have written to the soldiers from Gujarat.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
18 minutes ago
- Economic Times
India will respond with full force whenever terrorism threatens its citizens: Govt
ANI Telangana, Jul 13 (ANI): General Officer Commanding of the Sudarshan Chakra Corps, Lieutenant General Prit Pal Singh, interacts with Kerala Startup Mission during his visit to Amphibious Brigade of the Bison Division, on Sunday. (@IaSouthern X/ANI Photo) Anticipating future warfare scenarios through "predictive technologies" and creating precise, targeted systems for counter-action are among the three-fold goals when it comes to India's futuristic defence programme, Sudarshan Chakra Mission, the government said on Wednesday. In a broad synopsis of the country's security scenario, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Wednesday shared some data and a summary of various defence-related developments in the past 11 years, titled 'Transformation of India's Defence and Internal Security Posture'. "Unlike in the past, India under the present government has become a global force to reckon with, a nation that speaks on issues from a position of strength," it says. The government said India has adopted a "firm and clear approach towards cross-border terrorism", adding that the pattern of action over the last decade reflects this policy. The most recent and defining operation came in May 2025 with Operation Sindoor. In response to the killing of civilians in Pahalgam, "India gave its armed forces full freedom of action", the synopsis says. Using drones and precision munitions, they struck nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. More than 100 terrorists were eliminated, including individuals linked to the IC814 hijacking and the Pulwama attack. Pakistan attempted retaliatory strikes through drones and missiles, but Indian counter-drone systems neutralised them, it adds. In his 79th Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Operation Sindoor as "a new normal", making it clear that "India will respond with full force whenever terrorism threatens its citizens," the synopsis says. Beyond immediate responses, the Modi government is preparing for "long-term threats," the government said. In his Independence Day speech, Modi had announced the Sudarshan Chakra Mission, a futuristic defence programme. "Its goals are threefold -- to ensure the entire system is researched, developed, and manufactured in India; to anticipate future warfare scenarios through predictive technologies; and to create precise, targeted systems for counter-action. By 2035, the aim is to provide a comprehensive national security shield for both strategic and civilian assets," it says. In the last eleven years, India's defence and internal security posture under the government of PM Modi has undergone a "profound transformation", it says. The shift has been marked by "greater clarity of purpose, stronger deterrence, and a sustained drive for self-reliance," the synopsis says. This government has consistently underlined that "national security is non-negotiable", and to ensure this security, India will build its own capacity and preparedness. This has resulted in a "more confident, modern, and proactive approach to challenges, both external and internal". it adds. Firm responses to terrorism, the clear articulation of new normal with Pakistan and futuristic initiatives like the Sudarshan Chakra Mission underscore a "forward-looking security doctrine," the government asserted. India's defence and internal security posture under the Modi government reflects a "decisive shift towards strength, clarity, and self-reliance". With record investments in defence, rapid growth in indigenous production, bold reforms, and the adoption of emerging technologies, India has transitioned from being a major importer to a rising global exporter of defence equipment, it added. "India's defence expenditure has steadily increased under the present government, rising from Rs 2.53 lakh crore in 2013-14 to Rs 6.81 lakh crore in 2025-26," the PIB synopsis says. "The focus is no longer only on acquiring weapons but also on building domestic capacity. In 2024-25, defence production touched a record Rs 1.50 lakh crore, more than triple the 2014-15 level," it adds. Fighter jets, missile systems, artillery systems, warships, naval vessels, aircraft carriers and a lot more are now being made in India, underlining how strongly "self-reliance and deterrence have become the cornerstone of national security," the government said. Defence exports grew thirty-four times over the last decade, reaching Rs 23,622 crore in 2024-25. Indian equipment is now exported to over 100 nations, including the United States, France, and Armenia, it said. The synopsis also shared data related to indigenisation efforts. The SRIJAN Portal (2020) enables the industry to locally develop items earlier imported. "To date, over 46,798 items have been listed". And, Positive Indigenisation Lists by DPSUs have identified 5,012 items (across five tranches), "signalling a phased ban on imports", it says. At the same time, progress in internal stability, food and energy security, financial inclusion, and technology innovation demonstrates that Atmanirbharta is "not confined to defence alone" but forms the foundation of a "resilient and confident India prepared to meet both traditional and non-traditional challenges on its path to becoming a global leader", the government asserted. "This tectonic shift reflects the deep resolve of the government to see the country as Viksit Bharat in every sense in the years to come. It also reaffirms that this government does not merely believe in rhetoric, but has actually done, and is continuing to do, what it takes to make India 'Viksit'," it said.
The Hindu
18 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Death toll in Nigeria mosque attack rises to 50, dozens abducted
The death toll from an attack by gunmen on a mosque and nearby homes in Nigeria's northwest Katsina state has risen to at least 50, with around 60 others abducted, local officials and residents said on Wednesday (August 20, 2025). The attack occurred early on Tuesday in the remote community of Unguwan Mantau, in Malumfashi district, as Muslim worshippers gathered for Fajr, the dawn prayer. Witnesses reported that armed assailants arrived on motorcycles, opening fire inside the mosque before moving through the village. Aminu Ibrahim, a lawmaker representing Malumfashi, said at least 30 people were killed and 20 others burned alive in what he described as a series of brutal attacks on the community. Katsina police spokesperson Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu said officers intercepted the attackers and successfully prevented a planned assault on two villages. But while fleeing through Mantau, the attackers opened fire on residents. Several homes were also set ablaze before security forces arrived at the scene, he said. Survivors recounted harrowing scenes of women and girls being dragged away by the assailants. "They started shooting inside the mosque while people were praying," said Muhammad Abdullahi, a resident. "My neighbour was killed. I was lucky I didn't come out early." On Tuesday, Fatima Abakar, an official at the local general hospital, told Reuters that 27 bodies were registered at the morgue, though many victims were taken by relatives for Islamic burial rites. Northwest Nigeria has seen a surge in attacks by gangs, known locally as bandits, in recent years, targeting villages and highways, abducting residents for ransom, and extorting farming communities.
The Hindu
18 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Ramalingam murder: NIA arrests one, conducts searches at houses of alleged members of banned PFI in Dindigul
NIA officers on Wednesday arrested a man on charges of harbouring the accused in the 2019 murder of PMK functionary Ramalingam. The arrested person, identified as Inpattullah, was running a restaurant in Kodaikanal. The NIA conducted searches at eight places in the district in connection with the murder. The searches were conducted at the residences of individuals allegedly associated with the Popular Front of India (PFI), a Muslim outfit banned by the Centre. NIA officials searched the house of Sheikh Abdulla, a painter, in Begumpur. They recovered documents and mobile phones from Abdulla and his wife. They also searched the house of Mohammed Yasin, an electrician of Shamsudeen Colony in Oddanchatram. They recovered mobile phones and other documents from the house. In Batlagundu, NIA officers searched the house of Umar Khattab at Kurinji Nagar. The agency also conducted searches in five places in Kodaikanal.
