Mumbai: Petition supporting Somaiya Trust launched

Petition in support of Parveen Shaikh and petition in support of Somaiya management

Hardly a week after a group of well-wishers of Parveen Shaikh, the former principal of The Somaiya School in Vidyavihar, launched an online petition on Change.org in her support, another group identifying themselves as the ‘Young Thinkers Forum' has started an online petition supporting the management's decision to terminate her.

The controversy began with an article on a web portal accusing Shaikh of allegedly being a Hamas sympathiser by liking pro-Hamas and anti-Hindu tweets. This led the management to initiate an investigation in the matter leading to her termination from the position of principal, which has now sparked an online battle of petitions between those supporting Shaikh and those endorsing the management's decision.

In their online petition, the Young Thinkers Forum claimed that the trust's decision to terminate Shaikh was an effort to protect the integrity of educational institutions and the values they instil in children, deeming it fair and necessary.

The first online petition on Change.org, started on May 25 by a group calling themselves ‘Voice of India' (Justice for Parveen Shaikh), asked the Somaiya Trust to reconsider their decision. They questioned whether the credibility of the website that published the article was taken into consideration before deciding to terminate her contract. Since May 25, the petition supporting Shaikh has exceeded its initial goal of signatures. As of the afternoon of June 2, it had reached 4,267 signatures.

In contrast, the petition supporting the management had garnered more support, reaching 4,918 signatures by Sunday afternoon. This petition also shared a link to the April 24 article against Shaikh that ignited the controversy. The petition states: "We express our firm support for the recent decision to terminate Ms Parveen Shaikh from her position as Principal of The Somaiya School. We believe that the action taken by the Somaiya management is both fair and necessary to protect the integrity of our educational institutions and the values they instil in our children.

Parveen Shaikh has been found engaging in highly inappropriate behaviour on social media, including liking posts that support radical and terrorist organisations such as Hamas, glorifying terrorists, and making derogatory comments that spread hatred against the Hindu community, Hindu beliefs, and high-ranking constitutional offices, including the Prime Minister of India. Such actions are not only unbecoming of an educational leader but are also dangerous and divisive in a society striving for harmony and mutual respect."

The petition further accused Shaikh of abusing constitutional offices, supporting radicalism and terrorism, and misusing the freedom of speech. As the debate continues online, both sides remain steadfast, highlighting the deep divisions and strong opinions surrounding this issue.

Speaking to mid-day on the condition of anonymity, a parent said, "I suspect that the recent petition on Change.org, which supports the management's decision and openly criticizes principal Shaikh, is the handiwork of people with ill intentions. They have nothing to do with the school and are external individuals. The petition is being openly endorsed on social media by the web portal that initiated this controversy. The petition also shares a link to that article. We, the parents, support principal Parveen Shaikh and have the best interests of the school at heart. We believe that what happened was unfair and instigated by outsiders."