Bangalore: Hindu girl forced to pray to Allah by school teacher upon failing to solve Maths problem, teacher says 'Allah is best God'
Bangalore Urban, Karnataka, India 
4 January, 2022
Case Summary
In Bangalore, a girl studying at Orchid International School stated she was punished by being made to pray in an Islamic way. Her Math teacher instructed her to pray in the name of Allah after she struggled to solve a mathematic problem. She also warned her not to inform anyone. The girl recounted the incident in a video recorded by her father, Vikram Simha, stating that the teacher asked her to pray with her hands half-open like a bowl. She added that when she and other students explained they were Hindus, the teacher scolded them and insisted they pray to Allah, saying he was the best God. The school management denied the allegations, stating that no religious practices are promoted by the teachers. They claimed the act was part of a two-minute eye exercise to reduce screen strain, not a prayer. The school also stated that they had spoken to the parents and that no religious discussions had taken place in the class. Vikram Simha, the victim's father, countered the school's claims, asserting that the school did not allow his daughter to speak freely. The incident drew attention on social media, with BJP leaders supporting the girl and calling for action against the teacher.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the hate tracker under the prime category- Predatory Proselytisation. Under this, the sub-category selected here is- Proselytisation by brainwashing, manipulation or subtle indoctrination- Religious brainwashing essentially means the often subtle and forcible indoctrination to induce someone to give up their religious beliefs to accept contrasting regimented ideas. Religious brainwashing also involves propaganda and manipulation. It involves the systematic effort, driven by religious malice and indoctrination, to persuade “non-believers’ to accept allegiance, command, or doctrine to and of a contrasting faith. Cases of such brainwashing are far more nuanced than direct threats, coercion, inducement and violence. In such cases, it is often seen that there is repeated, subtle and continual manipulation of the victim to induce disaffection towards their own faith and acceptance of the contrasting faith of the perpetrator. While subtle indoctrination is widely acknowledged as predatory, an element which is often understated in such conversions or the attempts of such conversion is the role of loyalty and trust which might develop between the perpetrator and the victim. Fiduciary relationships are often abused to affect such religious conversion. For example, an educator transmitting religious doctrine of a competing faith to a Hindu student. The Hindu student is likely to accept what the teacher is transmitting owing to existence of the fiduciary relationship. The exploitation of the fiduciary relationship to religiously indoctrinate victims would also be included in this category. Since the underlying animosity towards the victim’s faith forms the basis of predatory proselytization, such cases are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. The incident at Orchid International School in Bangalore, where a Hindu girl was allegedly coerced by her math teacher to pray in the Islamic way, is a troubling example of proselytization through brainwashing, manipulation, and subtle indoctrination. The teacher’s insistence that the girl pray to Allah, despite her protests and identification as a Hindu, crosses the boundary of mere academic instruction and enters into religious coercion. By compelling the student to pray in a specific religious manner and asserting that Allah is the "best God," the teacher subtly sought to undermine the student's own faith while promoting Islamic beliefs in a classroom setting. This manipulation, particularly when directed at impressionable young minds in a school environment, reflects a deliberate attempt to influence and reshape the religious identity of the students, violating their personal beliefs and freedoms. Such actions are not only manipulative but also indicate an underlying religious bias, where Hindu students are targeted and pressured to conform to Islamic practices. This form of indoctrination, especially within an educational institution, constitutes a religiously motivated hate crime, as it seeks to impose one religious ideology while denigrating another, which is why this case has been added to the hate tracker.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 0
- Female 1
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 1
Age Group
- Minor 1
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Complaint not filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
female
Sources 
