A 12-year-old Muslim student, Furqan was intentionally “targeted in deadly attacks” during the Navratri Dandiya celebrations in the Green Way Public school in Faridipur, Lucknow.
Some students brutally beat, assaulted and harassed Furqan allegedly due to his visible Muslim identity, that was noticeable through his academic-genius and amicable social presence.
The 8th grade student did not receive any preventive action or support from the school administration. Instead of helping the victim, the school exploded with “victim-blaming” and asked him not to oppose or be vocal. They also threatened Furqan “to issue a T.C. (transfer certificate)” and drop his name from the register.
“Shiva led the group involved in the attack. Ankur jumped in to strangle, accompanied by Subhash, Rupesh and many others ” told Fuqran to The Observer Post while describing the attack.
These were students from several different classes at the Green Way Public School, who were accompanied by some outsiders and their family members.
They Thought He’s Dead
These students were already hate-filled, so they planned to target Furqan. Therefore, without clarifying any reason, they ordered him to “not to be a hero” or make friends with fellow-students and “not to participate in Dandiya celebrations”.
Furqan informed his parents but Miss Neha assured and convinced them to send Furqan to participate in the Dandiya celebration where he was lynched and attacked.
Just around four days before the incident they had trapped Furqan on the first floor of their school building.
“A student twisted Furqan’s hand behind his back, and asked him not to make friends or join festive activities”, Faizan, the elder brother of Furqan who studies computer science at a college told OTP.
After complaining to teachers, Furqan was somehow fearless but he did not know that complaints and the administration would be “useless and unable” to save him.
On the day of the Dandiya concert, he wore a pretty two-piece costume. After a while he went to his friend’s place in close proximity to keep his jacket as it was too heavy. Shortly afterward, he found himself surrounded by a group of attackers.
“They were students from 8th, 10th and 12th grades. Around 8 to 9 students were from Green Way School whom Furqan recognized and identified well but others were outsiders” Faizan told.
They trampled him brutally till the point he became totally numb.
“Unhe lga ki iska kaam tamam ho gya hai (They thought he was dead). Then another boy came with his bike to crush him, so that the murder looks like an accident, or a mishap” Faizan pointed out.
Frightened from the dreadful situation, Furqan ran fast and the attackers chased him swiftly to clasp and beat him again in front of a gigantic iron-gate.
The biker has been identified as ‘Rupesh’ who is the elder brother of Prince Rajput, a student from class 8th.
Rupesh also approached a female teacher to seek help from her to avoid any potential legal implications, and she reassured him not to be concerned.
“I Will Issue Your T.C.”
The school administration did not support the Muslim student but rather the manager asked him to keep silent and treated him as guilty. They were in fact advocating the scoundrels.
‘They threatened me to issue a T.C. (transfer certificate) and drop my name from the admission register’ informed Furqan who was very nervous, soaked in painful blues and migraine.
Some local residents and parents who witnessed the incident, supported Furqan, but eventually they were silenced because after all everyone wants to avoid risks and is concerned about the future of their children.
“School management said that we are causing unnecessary turmoil and threatened the supportive locals to keep calm otherwise they can issue T.C. of their beloved children”, he said.
Registered Request, Unregistered Wounds
Furqan and his family filed a request-letter in the nearest police-booth where the two parties were settled on “a hollow meaningless agreement”.
Department said that if anything like this happens again they would take adequate action. School management repeated the same. But it did not justify anything.
“Nobody was found guilty at the Police chowki. No scoundrel is ashamed of his deeds” Faizan, the elder brother, expressed his distress.
Nobody took responsibility for the incident that could have gobbled an innocent life.
No teacher was suspended for advocating the goon Rupesh.
“We have appointed a nodal officer to investigate the case. We have also appointed counselors. We would counsel the students and parents” said S.K. Singh, a senior educator at the green way public school.
“All the instructions given by our local respective police officers have been applied; and we are always ready to welcome new suggestions” he added.
On the other hand, SI Shubham said “It’s a sensitive case and the parents are very afraid after whatever happened. We have requested them register an FIR and have also conducted a parent-teacher meeting to fix the matter”.
Health-Hurdles & Life-Hurdles
“My brother was baffled, flummoxed and he also has serious migraine issues” told Faizan who was just returning from the doctor’s clinic with his brother and parents.
Far from the people not taking any responsibility and trying to hide their crime, currently Furqan is at home, sick, sad and weak.
He has not reached school after the incident, however the offenders are happily coming to the institution and have returned back to their normal routines.
Probably this time, returning to school is more like returning to life for Furqan.
Since the incident, he has struggled to focus on his studies due to ongoing health and personal issues arising from the hostility he encountered.
