THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s tweet on Wednesday, strongly condemning the action of a Muslim cleric who admonished organisers of an event in Malappuram for inviting a girl on stage to receive an award, has spurred the state government into action.
The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights initiated suo motu proceedings into it, while the Kerala Women’s Commission said it would take action against those involved in humiliating the girl if it receives a complaint. Ministers R Bindu and Veena George too condemned the incident.
The child rights panel has sought an explanation from the secretary of the religious body Samastha and asked the Malappuram police and district child protection officer to submit a report.Meanwhile, women’s commission chairperson P Sathidevi said. “Either the victim or those close to her can approach us with a complaint."
On Thursday, Khan said he was ‘disappointed’ and ‘saddened’ by the silence of the political leadership on the issue. He said “offending the modesty” of a girl in public was a cognisable offence. “I hope the state’s institutions take suo motu cognisance of the crime,” Khan told reporters at the airport before leaving for Mumbai. “This is a violation of fundamental rights. As ordinary Indians, if we tolerate this, it will not be a good omen for our democracy,” the governor cautioned.
Referring to recent protests for the right of Muslim women to wear ‘hijab’ in educational institutions, Khan asked why such rude behaviour was meted out to a girl who was wearing the religious head-covering. “Your ultimate purpose is not hijab. These are the people responsible for creating Islamophobia all over the world,” Khan said.
Condemning the incident, Bindu said a studious girl had wished to get the recognition she deserved for her excellence. “Everyone present there should have welcomed her,” she said, while not targeting the Muslim scholar personally. Veena, who handles the Women and Child Development portfolio, said adopting such an attitude towards women and children was “wrong”.
The incident occurred during the recent inauguration of a ‘madrasa’ building in Malappuram district, where students were felicitated. Soon after the award was handed over, Muslim scholar M T Abdullah Musaliyar questioned the organisers as to why the girl was invited on stage.