Clipped video of school play shared with communal spin
A trimmed video of drama played by school children from Lucknow on Independence day is passed off with communal spin. The drama, with a theme of religious harmony, unity and brotherhood, is being widely shared on twitter with different captions that spread religious hatred.
By HABEEB RAHMAN YP Published on 17 Aug 2022 7:04 AM GMT
A clipped video of a play by school children in Lucknow is being circulated to spread religious hatred on social media.
The video is shared from the verified account of Sudarshan News. "Crown of mother India removed. She is draped in Hijab".
In 30 second video, a school girl wearing a saree appears to be Mother India with the crown. A group of children in Muslim attire removes her crown, and cover her head with a scarf. Then, they all offer Namaz (Muslim prayer) with 'Azan' playing in the background. (Archive)
The same video has been shared from different accounts on Twitter with different captions.
"What did you make out by this Jihadi separatism on the national festival?" wrote @surabhi2003.
Fact-check:
Primary visual evidence suggests the play was staged on Independence day in a school. We collected keywords from different captions shared along with the video, including the name of the school (Shishu Bharati Vidyalaya, Malaviya Nagar, Aishbagh, Lucknow). We found another video of the same event from a different camera angle through the keyword search. (Archive)
At 2.20 minutes, we could see Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, and Christian prayers being recited. Tricolor is found in the background and children are seated on the floor. A girl representing Mother India. Different groups of children representing different religions together presented the play.
We also found the same video on the official Twitter handle of the Lucknow Police Commissionerate. (Archive)
Police clarified that the play presented by small children for communal harmony has been wrongly propagated by anti-social elements. A criminal act has been committed. Strict legal action will be taken.
There was also a press note by Lucknow Police Commissionerate.
We found a video that is shared from @Arv_Ind_Chauhan claiming to be the response of the teacher who choreographed the play.
In this video, the lady introduces herself as Pragati Nigam, a teacher from Shishu Bharati Vidyalaya.
"The video being shared is clipped. We presented the play to convey a message that unites four religions. People who spread canards are those who don't believe in any of these religions. They aim to defame the institution," she said.
We also found another video from the same account with a title: `Official version by the DCP on the matter'.
In the video is the UP West DCP, Shivasimpi Chinnappa.
He reiterated that the play doesn't harm religious sentiments, but promotes harmony and unity. He said that the inquiry has been started and strict action will be taken against those who whip up passions..
NewsMeter contacted UP West DCP Shivasimpi Chinnappa over the phone.
"In the play, there is nothing that leads to communal hatred or religious intolerance. It is just a play. But a short clip of the play has been circulated on social media. If we see the entire video, there is a clear message of brotherhood and unity," he said.
He also told NewsMeter that the inquiry is in progress and strict action will be taken against those who spread misinformation.
Conclusion:
The video being widely shared on Twitter with captions with communal spin is clipped and shared out of context. A part of the play is being circulated on social media to mislead people.
