A day after a video emerged of a boy being slapped by fellow students on the instructions of a school teacher, who also referred to his faith and talked pejoratively about 'Mohammedan children', the boy's father said he is scared and worried about their future in the Muzaffarnagar village where they live.
Pressure is also mounting on the family not to pursue a case against the teacher, with the head of a nearby village as well as farm leader Naresh Tikait pushing them to reach a 'compromise'.
Police, meanwhile, filed an FIR against the teacher, Tripta Tyagi (60), who was seen on video telling the children to hit their classmate 'hard' - ostensibly for not learning multiplication tables - and saying at one point: 'Maine toh declare kar diya, jitne bhi Mohammedan bachche hain, inke wahan chale jao (I have declared - all these Muslim children, go to anyone's area).'
The FIR has been filed based on the boy's statement and his father's complaint, under IPC sections 323 (causing hurt) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace).
On Saturday, the boy's father found himself surrounded by politicians, village leaders, media and dozens of locals at his modest home. While the RLD and Bhim Army turned up to support the family, a group of village heads wanted him to retract his complaint. Narender Tyagi, the head of Pura village, told him, 'Stop this drama now. We don't want the media in this village. I want you to go to the police station and tell them you don't need an FIR. Get it expunged. or you will be the one facing consequences.'
Farmer leader Tikait held what he called a 'peace meeting' and told the father 'to do compromise' and get the FIR expunged
The school has 50-60 students, roughly half of them Muslim. Several families said they were aware of corporal punishment being meted out to their children. (Express photo)
The father later told that he doesn't want action against the teacher and is scared because of all the attention. 'My family and I are worried about our future here. I am a farm labourer. I don't want Tripta ma'am to be arrested or punished. My son and his cousin have been studying there for years. We only wanted an apology and an explanation from her. It was my nephew who shot the video and showed it to me on Thursday. I was shocked to see my boy being beaten over his identity. He was humiliated because he didn't do his homework. We have never faced such an issue in the village, but now everyone is talking about it.'
Credit : Indian Express
