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BFF-24
INDIA-SCHOOL-DRAMA-DEMONSTRATION
India women facing sedition charges over school play get bail
NEW DELHI, Feb 16, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Two women held for two weeks by
Indian police on sedition charges over a school play which allegedly
criticised a contentious citizenship law have been granted bail, officials
said Sunday.
Teacher Fareeda Begum, 50, and parent Nazbunnisa, 36, were arrested on
January 30 for helping the children stage the play at Shaheen Public School
in Karnataka state.
The play depicted a worried family talking about how they feared the
government would ask millions of Muslims to prove their nationality or be
expelled from India.
They were detained under a British colonial-era law after a member of
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party claimed the children insulted the Hindu-
nationalist leader in the play.
India has been gripped by widespread street demonstrations against the law
that grants citizenship to religious groups from three neighbouring
countries, but excludes Muslims.
Nearly 30 people died in the months-long protests, including two in
Karnataka, which is ruled by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.
The women were denied bail multiple times before a court set them free
late Saturday on a personal bond of $1,400 each.
“The accused have been released on bail but we will continue with our
investigations,” an officer told AFP.
Officers visited the school at least five times to quiz children about the
play and gather evidence against the accused.
Critics accuse the police of misusing the law amid a public outcry and
several protests after videos showing officers interrogating the children —
aged between nine and 11 years — went viral on social media.
The citizenship law, combined with a mooted national register of citizens,
has stoked fears that India’s 200 million Muslims will be marginalised.
The British-era sedition law enacted in 1860 carries a maximum penalty of
life in prison.
Prosecutions are rare but it has frequently been used against critics of
the government of the day.
Activists say authorities use it to stifle dissent.
BSS/AFP/BZC/2020HRS