Students playing Holi in schools and colleges in India 2-3 days before the festival is not new and this time the festival of colours was celebrated in Pakistan’ s Sindh University but seems the incident has not gone down well with a college official who has asked students to tender an apology over the incident.
As reported in Pakistan daily The Express Tribune, students have been asked to give a written apology for celebrating Hindu festival.
Badar Soomro, head of the mass communication department of the University has asked students for an apology for playing Holi. However, Soomro told vice chancellor (VC) Fateh Muhammad Burfat that he took the decision because no prior permission was taken by the students to play Holi and not due to religious discrimination.
Meanwhile, VC said university will take action against the staff if he is found guilty of denying religious freedom. He said, “Sindh University has the highest number of Hindu community staff and students compared to any other university. They all work and study together with Muslims with utmost harmony,”
Four Hindu and six Muslim students have been asked for an apology. The whole episode got noticed when the affidavit of one the students went viral on the social media.
Some students claim that it was a sheer case of religious discrimination. One of the students of the university said, “When we were new in the university, we saw our seniors celebrating Holi and other religious or cultural activities with complete freedom.”
VC said, “the inquiry committee has been set up to ascertain whether any discrimination took place”.
