UP school headmaster suspended for making students sing Allama Iqbal’s poem

The school administration suspends headmaster of a primary school in Uttar Pradesh for teaching children Iqbal’s poetry.

According to Indian media, spreading the light of knowledge has also become a crime, the headmaster has been suspended after teaching poem of Allama Iqbal, “Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua” in Pali Bheit district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

He has been suspended on the complaint of local activists of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a strong Hindu organization.

The complaint against him was that he rather than playing Indian national anthem, prefers to teach Allama Iqbal’s poem to the students.

Furqan Ali, the headmaster, denied all complains regarding the poem and said that there is a proper practice of national anthem.

According to reports, the VHP complaint led to an inquiry which was conducted by Block Education Officer (BEO) Upendra Kumar.

The inquiry revealed that the children in the school usually sang the poem during the morning assembly.

Pilibhit District Magistrate Vaibhav Srivastava said that the headmaster was suspended because he was not making the students sing the national anthem.

“If the headmaster wanted to teach another poem also to the student, he should have sought permission. If he makes student recite a poem and not the national anthem, then there is an offence against him,” the District Magistrate said.

The suspended headmaster Furqan Ali, however, denied the allegations.