Author: Archana Solanki and Vatsala Shrangi
Publication: Mid Day
Date: April 11, 2011
URL: http://www.mid-day.com/news/2011/apr/110411-news-delhi-37-year-old-woman-Delhi-school-forcing-students-take-up-French-Sanskrit.htm
The 37-year-old woman claims an outer Delhi
school that sacked her recently is forcing students to take up French instead
of Sanskrit
Anna Hazare has broken his fast, but he seems
to have set a trend. For 37-year-old Asha Rani, Hazare is an inspiration.
The Sanskrit teacher began her indefinite
hunger strike outside St Angel's Senior Secondary School in Rohini, where
she was employed until a few days ago. Asha alleges the school management
terminated her services five days ago and is now forcing students to take
up French instead of Sanskrit.
The Sanskrit teacher is camping just outside
the main entrance of the school, and she has found a great number of supporters.
The camp is decorated with posters and placards condemning the school management
for their arbitrary move. Also there are banners demanding that Sanskrit language
be given back its rightful place in the school.
Asha claims the school has been indulging
in malpractices for long and she had also lodged an FIR against them twice
for corruption. "They are forcing students to take up French when they
have already studied Sanskrit till class IX. They sacked me as they wanted
to do away with the Sanskrit and introduce French from class V onwards,"
said the teacher.
Asha has members of the school faculty, students
as well as parents supporting her move. "I was manhandled by the security
guards sent by the school principal and insulted in front of the entire class
I was teaching to not let me teach Sanskrit. I am inspired by Anna Hazare
and decided to go on hunger strike following his footsteps. I want to make
my voice heard against injustice and corruption by the school management,"
she added.
Asha and 105 other teachers have signed and
submitted an application saying Sanskrit should be taught in the school. "The
school can keep French as an optional language. This behaviour of abolishing
Sanskrit, sacking and insulting the teacher is just unacceptable. We will
sit in support of her fast until the school management takes back its decision
and apologises to her for misbehaviour," said Meenakshi Verma, Assistant
Teacher, St Angel's Senior Secondary School.
Besides, around 250 students have given an
application in writing to the principal that they want to continue with Sanskrit
as they have studied it for several years. "We have studied Sanskrit
till class VIII; there is no point in suddenly taking up French in class IX,"
said Mohit Makkar, a class IX student in the school.
A group of students also claim that they have
been threatened of being beaten up if they became a part of the strike and
did not take up French voluntarily. "We were forced by the teachers to
take up French; else they would have beaten us up. We are very scared to go
to school these days," said Swati Sharma, a class VIII student in the
school.
A complaint has been registered by Asha Rani
and other teachers with the Deputy Director of Education, North-West, Devi
Singh and the Education Officer, Rohini Zone, Anil Kumar. A copy of the documents
is with Mid Day.
Parents in support
A number of parents were seen at the fasting
camp, showing solidarity with the teacher. "This is a positive development
that the teacher is going on fast for the students' sake. My daughter who
is studying in the school and has been taught by Asha Rani tells us that their
teacher was insulted by the school in-charge and was not allowed to teach.
She has studied Sanskrit till class VIII and it's not possible for her to
grasp French, a foreign language, when she will have her board exams next
year. The school should keep the option of both languages," said Prakash
Nathani, a parent, who was present at the site of the hunger strike.
Another parent Sushil Mittal also supported
the move by the teachers. "It is a despotic behaviour on part of the
school. They should not impose things on children and cannot sack a teacher
this way. They can give students a choice to study any of the languages they
like. We are against this system of forcibly making students study another
language and keeping them under scare," he said.