Teacher in Kerala accused of inciting communal disharmony over Onam
A school teacher in Thrissur, Kerala, has been booked for allegedly inciting communal disharmony after advising Muslim students not to participate in Onam celebrations at their school.
FIR registered against the teacher
The incident occurred at Sirajul Uloom English Medium School in Kadavallur, Thrissur district. On August 26, the police registered an FIR against Khadeeja, a teacher at the school, following a complaint filed by Hassan Muhammed, secretary of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), Kadavallur West area.
The FIR was lodged under Section 192 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (giving provocation with intent to cause riot) after Khadeeja circulated a WhatsApp voice message urging Muslim students to avoid participating in Onam festivities, calling it an act of “shirk.”
Controversial message
In the purported audio message, Khadeeja is heard saying:
- “Onam is a ritual of the Hindu community.”
- “Neither we nor our children should be part of it in any manner.”
- “We should not get associated with the rituals of other communities. We have to be careful not to compromise with our faith.”
She further claimed that the school follows Muslim values and that Onam, being a Hindu festival, should not involve Muslim children.
School management’s response
The school management distanced itself from Khadeeja’s remarks, stating that it was her “personal message” and not the institution’s stance. Following the backlash, Khadeeja was suspended, along with another teacher who had circulated a similar message discouraging participation in non-Islamic festivities.
Protests by DYFI and CPI(M)
The controversy sparked protests by DYFI and Communist Party of India (Marxist) activists, who staged a march to the school on August 27.
“When we reached the school, we were told that the teacher had been suspended temporarily. However, we suspect that such a message would not have been circulated without the management’s knowledge,” said DYFI leader Hassan Muhammed.
Police action
Kunnamkulam Circle Inspector Jayapradeep KG confirmed that a case has been registered and further investigation is underway.
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