A school teacher in India has subjected a seven-year-old Muslim student to degrading treatment inside a classroom, asking his classmates to slap him and asking for him to be evicted due to his religion, a video now viral on social media has revealed.
The video, which surfaced on Friday, showed Trapta Tyagi, the teacher at the school in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, making Islamophobic remarks in addition to encouraging other students to slap him harder.
A male voice in the background was heard agreeing with the teacher.
I have declared that all Muslim children should go. You are correct, it ruins the education,” the male is heard saying as the victim stands in front of the class, wailing and terrified.
The parents of the seven-year-old, Mohammad Altamash, told Al Jazeera that the incident took place on Thursday in Neha Public School in Kubbapur village.
Police in India have asked social media users not to share the video, prompting various users to remove it from their accounts.
A police officer said a case will be filed after recording the statement of the child and the parents.
The school in question has students from the Hindu and Muslim communities in the area.
Tripti Tyagi video
A harrowing event by a teacher named Tripti Tyagi has unfolded at Neha Public School raising serious concerns about religious discrimination and the incitement of violence among young students.
He was captured in a video instructing Hindu students to target their Muslim classmates physically.
Initially, the parents were hesitant to file a complaint, but following the public outcry, a First Information Report (FIR) was lodged against Tyagi.
Tyagi defended her actions by stating the physical abuse was due to the child’s failure to complete homework.
“I’m handicapped, so I made some students slap him so that he would start doing his homework,” she rationalized.
She also claimed that the video was edited to give the incident a communal tone.
However, Tyagi admitted her mistake, stating;
“This wasn’t my intention. I am accepting my mistake, but this was unnecessarily turned into a big issue.”
India may have made it to the moon but millions of Muslims still don't have basic rights as Muslims are lynched in public sight.
In this school the teacher asks Hindu children to slap a Muslim child, even berating them if they don't slap hard enoughpic.twitter.com/ci0YVgDpl2
— muslim daily (@muslimdaily_) August 25, 2023
Religion discrimination in India
Religious discrimination in India is a complex issue that involves various factors such as religious identity, caste and societal attitudes.
While there are differing perceptions among different religious groups, discrimination does exist to some extent.
According to a study by Pew Research Center, Hindus, Muslims, and Christians in India are more likely to perceive discrimination against their own religious community rather than against people of other faiths.
However, the overall perception of widespread discrimination is relatively low, with no more than about one-quarter of the followers of any major faith reporting facing discrimination.
Caste is another dividing line in Indian society, and it intersects with religious discrimination.
Significant shares of people in certain regions of India perceive widespread caste-based discrimination.
This discrimination is not limited to Hindus but also affects other religious communities.
The Indian Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and prohibits government discrimination based on religion, including for employment.
However, there have been incidents of religiously motivated violence, riots, and attacks on religious minorities.
Some perpetrators have not been brought to justice, leading to concerns about the effectiveness of legal protection.
The perception of religious discrimination varies across different regions of India.
For example, the Northeast region has a higher perception of religious discrimination, driven primarily by Hindus in the region.
Other religious communities in the region are less likely to report religious discrimination.
It is important to note that the issue of religious discrimination in India is multifaceted and influenced by various social, cultural and historical factors.
While legal protections exist, there are still instances of discrimination and violence against religious minorities.
Efforts to promote religious tolerance, understanding and equal treatment for all religious communities are crucial in addressing this issue.
