Collective backs Ahmedabad school that forced to drop Malala, Anne Frank books

Protests by parents, which began on August 11 over an alleged piece of glass found in a meal served at the Anand Niketan School Shilaj canteen, escalated to allegations of “discrimination against a religion.”

These allegations referred to the inclusion of Yousafzai’s ‘I am Malala’ and Anne Frank’s diary in the school’s Book Club — an extracurricular mandatory reading list. The parents alleged that a consultant the school had hired had tweaked the syllabus to include these books. The school is affiliated to the Council for Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE).

Members of right wing organisations including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal joined the parents’ protest, holding demonstrations on the school premises.

Following notices from District Administrative Officer Rohit Chaudhary, the school not only dropped the two books from its mandatory reading list but also terminated the services of its consultant, Munazza Shums. The school also fired its canteen supervisor.

‘Give autonomy to school’

The Student and Youth Collective, Ahmedabad, has called on everyone concerned to give the school autonomy which it said is necessary to carry on with its educational initiatives.

The statement signed by a wide range of citizens including students, youth, teachers, principals, activists, lawyers and professors condemned the action taken by the state government.

The statement says, “Schools should be places of learning, but also for critical reading, discussion, and healthy debate. This involves teachers and instructors bringing in texts that are relevant to the times we are living in.”

“The 2005 National Curriculum Framework – one of the first national policy documents – stated that what students read and learn in the classroom should be relatable and relevant to their daily lives and what transpires in the world. Leaning on this spirit, we find that the two books that were deemed ‘objectionable’ are valuable resources for learning. Malala Yousafzai fought for the rights of women and children, and worked stridently towards enhancing female education in Pakistan; her book, a memoir, is an account of her life and struggle. ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’ is a historically significant account of living under Nazi rule, giving a personal account of the Holocaust and it is a source of inspiration and hope for many people around the world. We believe that both these books remain very important and timely resources for students to access,” the statement said.

“We find the manner in which this issue was dealt with — the government action, outside groups interfering with the school’s academic and educational activities — deeply unsettling,” the collective said.

The collective members are planning to meet some of the affected school staff on Tuesday to express their support, one of the members told The Indian Express.