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Gujarat Uniform Row Needs An Independent Probe

By Shehzad Poonawalla

25 April, 2015
Countercurrents.org

The shocking and contradictory response of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation in the Gujarat uniform row (saffron uniforms for Hindu students and green uniforms for Muslims) to my petition to the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has been reported upon by the Indian Express today as a follow up of its story on this issue dated 13th April 2015. Many questions about the contradictory, half baked and post-facto cover up response by the AMC arise and hence I have taken up the matter with the NCM again for an independent probe.

Today's report:http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/uniform-row-amc-school-board-blames-management-panels/

Original story: http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/saffron-green-ahmedabad-municipal-body-schools-colours-apart/

Factual and logical inconsistencies that leave many questions unanswered and raise serious doubts on the version furnished by the AMC:

1) Despite the AMC School Board being the final authority taking the decision, it has blamed the school management committees for this case of segregation through uniforms.

2) There is no information on when these committees were formed and when these decisions were taken. It is to be noted that the Shahpur Public School students were distributed saffron uniform even before the school was inaugurated as they wore the uniforms right on the inauguration day (June 6, 2013) as reported by The Indian Express on June 7, 2013. http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/saffron-uniform-for-gujarat-govt-school-in-walled-city/1126176/

3) The above concerns have been raised in a news report appearing today in the Indian Express dated 25th April 2015 . Link: http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/uniform-row-amc-school-board-blames-management-panels/2/

4) in the report dated 7th June 2013 and also in the report dated 13th April 2015, Ahmedabad School Board chairman, Jagdish Bhavsar is on record to state that "We wanted to give a separate identity to these students and bought this (saffron) to be a nice colour."

5) Yet, the reply furnished to me , by D Thara, Municipal Commissioner AMC, dated 17th April 2015, gives a contradictory version of facts.

I find no reason as to why I should believe the AMC's uncorroborated, contradictory, half-baked, delayed and one sided version, which looks like a post-facto cover up exercise of the on-record statements of the AMC School Board authorities.

The question remains- which version is the truth? The AMC School Board authorities quoted on record or the AMC Municipal Commissioner's reply, which has come after being exposed. There is confusion and contradiction. All in not well, clearly. Is there a cover up job being orchestrated?

In light of this, I reiterate that the NCM should not treat this matter as closed and should:

a) Initiate an independent probe into the matter by sending a fact finding commission to ascertain the truth and provide answers to the questions raised by me in this petition, as there is a contradiction in the stands taken by the AMC.

b) Discover if discriminatory practices are being carried out by AMC School Board.If such practices do exist, seek reply from the Gujarat Government and make recommendations to check such segregation in all states and corporation board run schools.

c) Direct the Human Resource Development, Government of India to maintain check on such practices.

Lawyer activist and petitioner,
Shehzad Poonawalla
Tweet @Shehzad_Ind Email: [email protected]


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