Hindu groups in India humiliate Muslim teacher for promoting equality in classroom
Viral video from state of Madhya Pradesh shows Hindu nationalist groups targeting Muslim educator, exposing selective application of secularism
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A Muslim teacher in India was forced into a humiliating public apology after asking young pupils not to display religious symbols in class, an incident that has sparked outrage and raised concerns over deepening intolerance under Hindu nationalist rule.
The case took place at Sandipani School in Khargone, a city in the central state of Madhya Pradesh. Shahrukh Pathan, a guest teacher for second-grade students, told children not to wear tilak — a Hindu religious mark on the forehead — or kalawa, the sacred red thread tied around the wrist. According to colleagues, his intention was to encourage equality among classmates and to minimize religious distinctions inside the classroom.
“He was not stopping the children with any wrong intent. He only wanted them to understand equality and respect for all,” one staff member explained.
But the move provoked anger from Hindu extremist groups. Members of the Hindutva outfit Sakal Hindu Samaj entered the school, created chaos, and demanded Pathan’s public humiliation.
A video that went viral shows the teacher being forced to hold his ears and perform repeated squats —a degrading punishment commonly used in Indian schools — while Hindu nationalist slogans echoed around him. Witnesses said he was also compelled to issue a written apology under pressure.
The Hindu groups further demanded that the school’s principal take action against the teacher. One leader, recorded in the viral footage, accused Pathan of insulting Hindu traditions, saying: “Children from all communities come here to study. This act insults religious sentiments and distances them from their traditions.”
Civil rights advocates argue the incident exposes the hypocrisy of Hindutva groups and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. In recent years, the BJP has imposed hijab bans in schools and universities, claiming such measures uphold secularism and uniformity in the classroom.
Yet when a Muslim teacher asked Hindu students to refrain from displaying religious identity markers on similar grounds, he was vilified and humiliated.
Analysts say this selective enforcement of “secularism” illustrates how India’s education system has become another arena where Hindutva ideology is applied unevenly — restricting Muslim practices while protecting Hindu rituals as “cultural traditions.” International rights organizations have repeatedly warned that such double standards erode minority rights and weaken India’s secular fabric.
The viral video of Pathan’s humiliation has reignited debate over whether India’s classrooms can still serve as neutral spaces of learning, or whether they are now arenas where Hindu nationalist groups dictate terms and punish Muslim voices.
For many, the case in Madhya Pradesh is emblematic of a larger project: redefining secularism to privilege Hindu identity while marginalizing India’s Muslim minority.
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