Bidar school sedition case: 9-year-old reunites with mother after fortnight

A single parent, Najmunissa was put in jail on sedition charges after her daughter — a Class V student - spoke against the CAA in a school play.

3 min readBidar, KarnatakaUpdated: Feb 16, 2020 07:28 AM IST

karnataka bidar school sedition case anit caa play

The school’s headmistress, Fareeda Begum, also held on sedition charges, was released from jail a day after the two were granted bail. (Express Photo: Sreenivas Janyala)

The nine-year-old was uttering a prayer while waiting to meet her mother after 17 days. At times, she smiled shyly, while sometimes there were tears.

“I am praying that she is released today. I want to hug her, I want to take her home. I want sleep peacefully beside her,” she said on Saturday morning, waiting at the home of an official of Shaheen Group of Institutions, which runs her school, Shaheen Urdu Primary School, at Shahpur Gate in Bidar.

A few hours later, her mother Najmunissa, 35, stepped out of Bidar District Jail at 6 pm. In 20 minutes, the two were reunited, hugging and crying.

A single parent, Najmunissa was put in jail on sedition charges after her daughter — a Class V student – spoke against the CAA in a school play.

The school’s headmistress, Fareeda Begum, also held on sedition charges, was released from jail a day after the two were granted bail.

Her daughter, Najmunissa told The Sunday Express, wants to know what she did in jail during these 17 days, and is “eager to tell me what all she did while waiting for me”.

She said: “All she wants now is to be alone with me so that we can talk. When I met her today after being released, it was like seeing my daughter for the first time – she is the only one I have; I prayed all the time for her safety.”

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While her mother was in prison, the nine-year-old said she sometimes stayed at their rented room in Maniar Taleem Colony. “I used to sleep in the same room as the landlord’s wife but I could not sleep. She helped me a lot, as I used to wake up crying at night…I missed my mother,” she said.

At times, she would stay over at the home of a school teacher after school. “I felt lonely and sad because all I have is my mother. I have never lived without her for a single day. So I was terrified,” the girl said.

“I have to tell her everything that happened at school — there is so much to tell my mother. I missed her so much,” she said shyly.

Sreenivas Janyala

Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance. Expertise and Experience Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues: High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy. Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules. Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes. Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak. Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More

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