On February 26, at 10 a.m. sharp, the bell at Khajuri Odpur government school in Rajasthan’s Kota district rang through the air, beckoning the students to take their seats. However, a group of students from Classes 6 to 11, instead of going to their classes, started a 17-km march towards the office of the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM).
Some of the students were carrying handmade placards with messages like Samaan hai samaan hai, jaati dharm samaan hai [all castes and religions are equal], Laana hai lana hai, teeno ko waapis lana hai [We have to bring back all the teachers]. The group, comprising some 25 students, took several breaks during their three-hour-long march while holding high their placards.
At his office, SDM Krishna Kumar Rajawat was waiting for the students. It was the second time since February 21 that the students were protesting, demanding the reinstatement of three Muslim teachers — Mirza Mujahid, 42, Firoz Khan, 52, and Shabana, 28.
