By Maktoob
Five Muslim students of a government higher secondary school in Assam’s Goalpara district may face expulsion after a hate campaign was launched against them over allegations that one of the students had brought beef in his tiffin box to school.
The incident has already led to the detention of the minor student and the arrest of his mother, The Indian Express reported.
The minor was detained and later produced before a juvenile court, while his mother, a widowed single parent associated with a local self-help group, was arrested.
Police said the two have been booked under provisions relating to acts intended to outrage religious beliefs, following a complaint filed by the parents of two Hindu students.
According to school authorities, the incident took place on June 5 when five Muslim students allegedly attempted to share beef brought in a tiffin box with two Hindu classmates.
The Hindu students reportedly informed teachers, who initially tried to resolve the matter internally due to its sensitive nature. However, after the students discussed the incident with their families, the issue escalated, drawing the attention of local organisations and community groups.
Subrata Das, president of the School Management Development Committee (SMDC), said a meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday to take a final decision on a proposal to expel the five students. He said a consensus reached in a meeting attended by school authorities, SMDC members, and local organisations was in favour of expulsion.
Police said four other students are also being questioned as part of the investigation.
However, local All Assam Students’ Union leader Manidul Islam, who has interacted with the students and their families, disputed the allegations.
He said the boys told him they were sharing food among themselves when two classmates approached and asked what they were eating, after which the issue spiralled into a larger controversy.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.
