Title: Schoolgirl Discrimination Controversy Sparks Outrage in Lunawa Village, Gujarat
Subtitle: Sri K D Patel Smruti Vidyalaya criticized for failing to honor top-ranking minority student
Date: August 21, 2023
By: Lashmi Patel Post, BBC Gujarati
In a shocking turn of events, Sri K D Patel Smruti Vidyalaya, located in Lunawa village in Kerala taluk of Gujarat, has found itself embroiled in controversy. The school made headlines for purposely excluding a minority student who had achieved the highest score in class 10 during their program to honor exceptional students on Independence Day.
The reprehensible act of the school management has sparked outrage, with people across the community and beyond discussing the incident. Consequently, the Gujarat government has taken cognizance of the matter and has ordered the District Education Officer, Mehsana, to launch a detailed investigation.
On August 15, during the school’s appreciation ceremony, students who excelled academically were invited on stage and felicitated by special guests. Astonishingly, Arnas Banu, who topped the school in the SSC examination, was deliberately excluded from the stage. This discriminatory behavior toward a student from a minority community has raised concerns about the school’s ethos and values.
District education officer AK Patel expressed his concerns about the incident and informed the BBC Gujarati that officials would visit the school on August 21 for an inspection. They would engage with the school principal, administrators, and parents of Arnaz Banu to gather more information and hold a separate hearing on the incident.
Rahisaben Pathan, the panchayat president of Lunawa village, shared her disappointment, stating, “Our daughter Arnaz Banu topped the school in the SSC examination. Despite her great achievement, the school teachers did not appreciate her in the program. I have spoken to the school teachers about this.”
According to Pathan, Arnaz has joined Banu Kahoda School in class 11, where she was informed that the school only honored students from Lunawa School. Pathan questioned this reasoning and emphasized that since Arnaz was a student at their school when she achieved her outstanding result, it was only fair that she be recognized during the program.
Lunawa village, with a population of 5000, is known for its harmonious coexistence of different communities, including Muslims, Chelatri, Panchal, Tagore, Rabari, and more. Therefore, this incident of discrimination goes against the village’s inclusive and tolerant spirit.
Arnas Banu’s father, Sanevar Khan, expressed his disappointment as well. He said, “We have been living in this village for generations, and we have never faced any discrimination. This is the first time such an incident has happened to us. Even though my daughter topped the school in class 10, the second runner-up was felicitated and awarded by the school management.”
Sanevar Khan continued, “Arnaz Bhanu studied up to class 10 at Sri K D Patel Smruti Vidyalaya, Lunawa. She secured 87% marks in the exam and topped the school. A program is organized by the school management on August 15 every year to felicitate the top three students in class 10 and 12.”
“When my daughter returned home in tears, we asked her the reason. She revealed that the school management did not announce her name, and instead, the second runner-up received the honors. When we questioned the school management and teachers, they failed to provide a satisfactory explanation, and they started blaming each other,” he added.
In response, Bipin Patel, the administrator of Sri KT Patel Smruti Vidyalaya, denied any discrimination and stated, “We never discriminate between students. We will honor the student on January 26. Arnas Banu did not attend the event, so she was not honored.”
Anil Patel, the school principal, also chimed in, saying, “On August 15, we organized a small program to honor the students of our school. We will also be honoring students on January 26th. If any student feels sad, we will honor them on January 26. We have added Arnaz Banu’s name to the program.”
The incident has garnered significant attention, highlighting the need for inclusive practices and equal treatment within educational institutions. As the investigation progresses, many hope that appropriate action will be taken to rectify the situation and ensure that no student experiences discrimination in the future.
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