Muslim students harassed in Maharashtra pharmacy college over Namaz; activists demand FIR

A group of social activists, and academics from Kalyan city in Maharashtra have asked the Ideal College of Pharmacy to file a First Information Report (FIR) against individuals responsible for harassing Muslim students performing namaz on campus. The delegation has also urged the college to identify and discipline the students responsible for recording the prayers and circulating it on social media, which led to fringe groups reaching the college premises.

The meeting between the college administration and the delegation comprising social activists, educationists, and a lawyer from different communities, took place after a group of Hindutva goons allegedly harassed the Muslim students who were offering namaz inside the campus.

Stressing the need to provide a common space for students of all faiths to carry out their religious practices, the delegation also suggested to the medical college that a psychological counselling session should be provided to the affected Muslim students.

“In a meeting with the college authorities as well as representatives of the management, the delegation expressed its dismay over the incident, where a few students performing Friday prayers in an empty classroom after obtaining due permission from their head of the department (HoD) were filmed and the video was circulated online,” according to an official statement.

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'The episode has traumatised, damaged students' self-respect'

“The viral video resulted in a right-wing mob descending on the campus and the students were forcefully made to apologise for simply performing their religious obligation without causing any hindrance to anyone,” the statement reads.

The college administration should also enhance its security on the premises and facilitate an atmosphere of harmony and mutual respect among students and staff.

“This episode has traumatised and damaged the students' self-respect. It also highlights the rising hatred being fueled in our society, which often results in the victimisation of the minority Muslim community,” the delegation said in an official statement.

In addition, the college administration has admitted its failure in protecting the students on the Friday prayer day and expressed regret over the students' ordeal.

The authorities also informed that they have since taken several measures to improve the security on campus, assuring that no such incident will occur in the future.

“The counselling will be arranged for the victim students to ensure their emotional well-being and to prevent any long-term stress or trauma. The college also plans to organise special harmony-building programmes to address the atmosphere of misunderstanding and hate that surfaced among students,” the college said in an official statement.