Days after joining a protest against the suspension of three teachers from her school in Rajasthan—Muslims accused by a Hindu right group of carrying out religious conversions—a Hindu student told us that everything she had learnt about not looking the other way in the face of injustice made it necessary for her to speak out.

Education minister Madan Dilawar suspended Firoz Khan, Mirza Mujahid, and Shabana, who were teaching at the government higher secondary school in Khajuri Odpur village in the southeastern district of Kota.

Students, parents, and teachers maintained that the three were innocent.

“Our teachers taught us that we should always follow the path of truth, no matter how difficult it is,” said a 16-year-old student, who asked Article 14 not to publish her name.

“We are following the same path,” she said. “Lies keep winning, but we will see the truth prevail.”

A 13-year-old Muslim student who said she wanted to be a public speaker one day said she came up with the slogans, “ek, do teen, chaar, bandh karo ye atyachar,” (one two three four, stop this atrocity), nirdosh hai nirdosh hai humary sir nirdosh hai (innocent, innocent, our teachers are innocent), and Shabana ji, Firoz sir, Mirza Mujahid ji ko insaaf do insaaf do (give justice to Shabana, Firoz, and Mirza).

The Muslim student, who asked us not to publish her name, is seen shouting the slogans in a viral video.

A student from class 11, a Muslim who asked us not to publish her name, said she went from class to class to mobilise other students.

On 23 February, a day after the teachers were suspended after a collective of Hindu right-wing groups, the Sarv Hindu Samaj, submitted a memorandum to the state education minister Madan Dilawar, alleging forced conversions, the three students came to school determined to gather support for the teachers that some of the mainstream media were projecting as perpetrators.



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