350 years on, girls enter boys-only school

May 27, 2012

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New Delhi, May 27: For the first time in its history, burqas will sweep down the narrow stairs and edges of dupattas brush the ancient walls of the Anglo-Arabic Senior Secondary School. No longer only for boys, the 350-year-old school at Ajmeri Gate is girding up for the change, a massive step for a school that recruited its first woman teacher only in 2006. The banner at the entrance says, "Admission [is] open for girls" and for once, along with the students, the school has a lot of prep to do.

The Delhi high court ordering the Directorate of Education and Delhi Police to ensure the school's decision to go co-ed is "duly implemented" made it possible. By Saturday afternoon, four girls had joined - two in Class XI, one in Class VIII, the youngest in VI, and all in English-medium. The school's governing body, Delhi Education Society, is hoping they'll have at least 50 girls using their classrooms by the time term begins.

Three of the four girls were studying at local girls' schools. "I wanted commerce but my school had only arts. That's why I am joining here," says Darakshan Fatima (17). If there's one major flaw in the existing institutions for girls that compels them to seek admission at Anglo-Arabic, it's that they do not offer science or commerce, perhaps assuming girls don't have the temperament for it. "Even when we recruit, almost all the women applicants have studied arts," says Khalil Ahmed, joint secretary, Delhi Education Society. Darakshan hopes to be a chartered accountant and her fellow applicant, Mehwish Rehmani (16), wants to teach math. The other two girls, Gulafshan (12) and Ramsha (13), are sisters of Darakshan.

Having functioned in a particular way for three-and-a-half centuries, the school authorities are trying to make the transition as smooth as possible. At least one toilet has to be freed for the girls and a space cleared up for a common room. The uniform will probably be salwar-kameez-dupatta in grey and white.

"We'll make any investment to make them comfortable," says manager Atyab Siddiqui. "Immediately after school reopens, we will have a workshop with psychologists and counsellors to talk to teachers and students." Science teachers Pervez Ahmed and Aftab Alam have already started talking to their students. "I gave them the example of Hamdard Public School," says Alam. "If our Walled-City kids can attend a co-ed school there, what's wrong with having one here?" Khalil says, "A girls' school was necessary. No new school for girls has come up in the area in the last two-three decades but population has gone up." The school is planning self-defence classes for girls.

"I know Darakshan. If boys trouble her, she'll fix them," says Shahina Furquan, teaching commerce at the Anglo-Arabic Model School - a sister concern operating from the same compound. She had been asked to help draw girls to the school; she approached 60-70 sets of parents. "Most said no directly, some said they'll think about it. Parents are worried about the safety of the girls in a what has been a boys' school for so long," she says.

Only three of the 48 teachers at Anglo-Arabic are women. Faiza Nisar Ali, recruited in 2006, was the first one and was called upon to prepare the "feasibility report". "There are a number of recruitments in the pipeline. We'll give preference to women from now," says Jamia professor Azra Razzack who is the secretary of the school governing body.

All the girls, except one, are shifting from girls' schools. "We have to face boys in college anyway," says Darakshan. "We may as well get used to it now."

That Mehwish is continuing with school at all is the result of a mother's determination to see her daughter succeed. Nazma Perveen's family, even husband, had been against the idea. "But I want Mehwish to go as far as she can,' says Perveen whose academic career was cut short in Class VIII when she got married. "I don't want Mehwish's life to turn out like mine. She wants to teach math. She's very good at it," she says, adding wistfully, "I was too."

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News Network
October 27,2024

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav stated on Sunday, October 27, that his party is prepared to contest the Maharashtra Assembly elections independently if the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) does not include them in the alliance. 

Yadav assured that the SP would only contest in constituencies where it has a strong organizational presence and would ensure its participation does not affect the MVA’s overall prospects.

Several I.N.D.I.A. alliance members have expressed dissatisfaction with the Congress over seat-sharing arrangements in upcoming state polls. 

Both the CPI(ML)L and the RJD voiced frustration after being offered only 3-4 seats each for the Jharkhand elections by the Congress.

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October 21,2024

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Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on Monday warned passengers not to fly on Air India flights from November 1 to 19. He asserted that an attack could take place on an Air India flight during the specified dates, which coincide with the "40th anniversary of the Sikh genocide".

The founder of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), who holds dual citizenship in Canada and the US, had issued a similar threat around the same time last year.

Pannun's fresh threat comes amid several airlines in India receiving multiple threat calls about potential bombings, all of which turned out to be hoaxes. It also occurred at a time when India and Canada are engaged in a murky diplomatic row following Canada's allegations of India targeting Khalistani elements in the country, including the murder of another terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

In November 2023, Pannun released a video claiming that Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport would be renamed and would remain closed on November 19, warning people against flying on Air India that day. The National Investigation Agency charged him with criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, and various offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

In December last year, Pannun threatened to attack the Parliament on or before December 13, following reports of an alleged foiled plot to kill him. December 13 marks the anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Parliament in 2001.

He also threatened to kill Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Director General of State Police Gaurav Yadav on Republic Day this year. He also urged gangsters to unite and launch an attack on Mann on January 26.

Pannun has been designated a terrorist by the Ministry of Home Affairs since July 2020 on charges of sedition and secessionism, as he leads SFJ, a group advocating for a separate sovereign Sikh state. A year prior to this, India banned SFJ as an "unlawful association" for engaging in "anti-national and subversive" activities.

In another development, on October 17, the United States charged a former officer of India's spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) for allegedly directing a foiled plot to murder Pannun, a charge New Delhi has rejected as baseless allegations.

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