New Delhi: The International School of Bombay in Indore's Khajrana area has drawn sharp criticism for holding separate annual functions for Hindu and Muslim students on February 2 and 3, with parents alleging broader religion-based discrimination, as reported by Newslaundry.
Muslim parents told the portal they arrived at the venue unaware of the segregation, realizing only then that February 2 was exclusively for their children. "There were only Muslim students and their parents. There was limited staff, and they didn’t even invite any chief guest. The very next day, they held a function for Hindu students, where all the staff were present and a chief guest was also invited," said Mir Gulrez Ali, whose son is in Class 10.
Ali slammed the school's excuse: "They tried to give a lame excuse, saying it was because of Shab-e-Baraat. They could have arranged the function on another date… First they discriminate, and then they come up with such idiotic excuses. I have never heard of anything like this in any school."
Local Congress corporator Rubeena Khan, who met the management, revealed they admitted to separate seating arrangements for Hindu and Muslim students inside classrooms.
School admission officer Joy Joseph countered: "We held the annual function on two separate days because Shab-e-Baraat was being observed on February 3. We felt Muslim students might not be able to attend the event that day, so we organised a separate function for them on February 2. We conduct the annual function every year on a fixed date. That is why we did not shift it."
Parents alleged a pattern of bias. Syed Qasim Ali, whose nephew studies there and who lodged a CM Helpline complaint, cited last year's annual magazine: "Last year as well, the school indulged in a discriminatory practice. In the school’s annual magazine, they printed only the first names of Muslim students, while the full names of Hindu students were published…Parents strongly objected to this, after which the school was forced to make changes."