A viral video depicting a Hindu teacher degrading and subjecting a seven-year-old Muslim student to torture has caused uproar in India. The incident occurred at Neha Public School in the Khubbapur village of Muzaffarnagar. The teacher in question, Tripta Tyagi, who also owns the school, can be heard ordering the other students in the class to slap the Muslim boy. In addition to physical abuse, Tyagi made Islamophobic remarks during the incident.
The victim’s father has stated that he will not send his child back to the school and that a settlement has been reached where no formal complaint will be filed. The father also added that the school will be refunding his submitted fees. The victim’s mother, Rubina, spoke with Al Jazeera, expressing her son’s trauma. She mentioned that the teacher had a history of having students slap their classmates, as a similar incident had happened with another student only a few days prior.
The father of the victim claimed that the mistreatment of his son was a result of the growing anti-Muslim sentiment in the country. Muzaffarnagar Superintendent of Police Satyanarayan Prajapat commented on the incident, explaining that the police are investigating and will take departmental action against the teacher. The police are urging the victim’s father to file a formal complaint so that further legal action can be pursued.
India’s National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has taken note of the incident and intends to take legal action. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi blamed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the incident, stating that the BJP has spread discrimination and hatred throughout the country.
Various activists and public figures have also condemned the incident. Social activist Shabnam Hashmi urged the Indian president to ensure that the teacher is identified and held accountable. Former diplomat Shashi Tharoor expressed shame over the incident, highlighting the erosion of constitutional rights and freedoms. Duke University professor Timur Khan called the incident cruel, inhumane, and illegal, demanding that the teacher be fired and prosecuted for orchestrating violence against a child under her care.