‘No Intent To Resign’: Mumbai School Principal After Being Targeted For Political Beliefs (image-LinkedIn/Parveen Shaikh)Parveen Shaikh, the principal of Somaiya School located in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar, has been asked to resign from her position following an article published by Hindutva website OpIndia targeting Shaikh for her political views.
The controversy stemmed from an article published by OpIndia, accused of spreading misinformation and hate speech, which scrutinised Shaikh’s social media activity, claiming that she had ‘liked’ tweets perceived as “pro-Hamas”, “anti-Hindu”, and critical of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Claiming to expose the principal’s “disturbing social media behaviour,” the article further accused Shaikh of sympathising with “Islamist” Umar Khalid and activist Sharjeel Usmani. Just two days after the OpIndia article surfaced on April 26, the school management reportedly requested Shaikh to step down from her role as principal, as reported by Scroll.
Shaikh, who has served at Somaiya School for 12 years and held the position of principal for seven years, expressed her intention to not resign, citing the lack of specific grounds other than the OpIndia article. In an interview with Scroll, Shaikh stated that while the management acknowledged her hard work and contributions, they claimed to be under immense pressure to take action against her. She has also expressed gratitude for the support received from the parent body in dismissing the allegations raised against her.
Following the publication of the article, a sea of hate speech has been unleashed upon Shaikh on social media platforms. However, amidst the controversy, numerous parents voiced their support for Shaikh. They state that she has always promoted cultural harmony, and peace within the institute. Another parent emphasised Shaikh’s professionalism, dismissing the allegations of the Mumbai principal being “anti-national” and imposing her political views on “thousands of unsuspecting children.”
A group of 18 parents met with Samir Somaiya, the president of the Somaiya Vidyavihar Trust, urging him to reconsider the management’s decision. Shilpa Phadke, another parent, criticised the targeting of Shaikh based on politically-motivated propaganda, describing her as an “extraordinary educator” whose resignation would be untenable, particularly because of her Muslim identity.
Meanwhile, the school spokesperson neither confirmed nor denied the management’s decision, stating that they are currently investigating the matter.