TCO News Desk
Burari, Delhi | January 25, 2026 – Simmering communal friction boiled over in the narrow lanes of Burari on Saturday as hundreds of Hindu nationalists gathered outside the gates of Mount Olivet Senior Secondary School, a prominent Christian minority institution, chanting slogans and demanding its immediate closure. What began as a parents' grievance over alleged religious indoctrination has snowballed into a full-throated call to repurpose the 3,000-student campus into a gaushala (cow shelter), symbolizing a provocative fusion of cow protection fervor and anti-conversion rhetoric in India's polarized heartland.
The protests, which erupted on January 17 and peaked over the weekend, were triggered by viral videos showing irate parents and activists confronting school staff. Footage circulating on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram depicts a boisterous crowd, including members affiliated with groups like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, waving saffron flags and posters emblazoned with "Shut Down Mount Olivet – Jai Shri Ram" and "Convert to Gaushala: Protect Hindu Dharma." One particularly charged clip shows a protester, megaphone in hand, declaring, "This school is a hub for forced conversions! Close it now and turn it into a shelter for our sacred cows – no more poison to our children!" The demands have drawn sharp criticism from minority rights advocates, who decry them as an assault on Article 30 of the Constitution, which safeguards religious minorities' rights to establish and administer educational institutions.
At the epicenter of the uproar is Mount Olivet Senior Secondary School, founded in 1994 and affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Run by the Olivet Educational Society—a registered religious minority entity under the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese—the school serves a diverse student body in the densely populated Sant Nagar locality of Burari, North Delhi. With an enrollment of approximately 3,000 students from nursery to Class XII and a faculty of over 100, it emphasizes holistic development, including extracurriculars and value-based education. Notably, the school's principal, Birendra Yadav—a Hindu born in Bihar in 1966—has been at the helm since its inception, a fact that protesters have weaponized to question the institution's "true" affiliations. "Even the principal is one of us, yet he's allowing this missionary agenda," one parent alleged during the standoff.
The flashpoint allegations stem from claims by Hindu parents that their children face systematic discrimination and coercion into Christian practices. According to viral posts and eyewitness accounts, students have reportedly been caned or humiliated for refusing to recite Bible verses, utter "Amen" or "Hallelujah" during assemblies, or for displaying Hindu symbols like tilak (forehead markings) or kalawa (sacred threads). One widely shared video, viewed over 21,000 times on X, captures a heated exchange outside the school gates where a mother tearfully recounts her son's ordeal: "They beat him for wearing kalawa! This is not education; it's conversion by force. Why punish a child for his faith?" Protesters further accuse the school of operating as a "conversion hub," citing unverified instances of staff offering incentives like free tuition or scholarships to Hindu families in exchange for religious compliance—a charge that echoes broader national anxieties over "love jihad" and missionary activities.
The demand to convert the school into a gaushala—a shelter for cows, revered as sacred in Hinduism—adds a layer of symbolism to the agitation. Cow protection has long been a rallying cry for Hindu right-wing groups, often leading to vigilante actions and legal battles. "Cows are our mothers; this building should serve them, not spread foreign faiths," shouted a VHP-affiliated activist in one Instagram reel that has garnered 1.4K views. The proposal, while inflammatory, underscores the protesters' intent to reclaim space in a neighborhood where Hindu-majority sentiments run high amid rapid urbanization and demographic shifts.
Social media has amplified the frenzy, with hashtags like #ShutDownMountOlivet and #GaushalaForBurari trending locally on X. Posts from handles like @TeamHinduUnited and @SouleFacts have racked up thousands of likes and reposts, urging Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Education Minister Ashish Sood to intervene. Replies range from supportive calls to "repeal Article 30A" – a reference to minority rights protections – to pragmatic advice like "Don't send Hindu kids to missionary schools." However, the discourse has also veered into toxicity, with some users invoking conspiracy theories about "Abrahamic agendas" eroding Hindu culture.
As of Sunday morning, the school remained shuttered for the third consecutive day, with police deploying barricades and additional personnel to prevent escalation. No arrests have been reported, but tensions simmered as a smaller group of protesters lingered, distributing pamphlets. The Delhi Police's North District unit confirmed they are investigating the complaints under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including those for promoting enmity between groups (IPC 153A), but urged restraint to avoid "law and order issues."
The institution has yet to issue an official statement, though sources close to the management insist the allegations are "baseless and exaggerated," attributing them to a handful of disgruntled parents. "We are a minority school committed to inclusive education; no child is forced into any religious practice," one anonymous teacher told reporters on condition of anonymity. The Olivet Educational Society, which manages the school, emphasizes its CBSE affiliation and track record of academic excellence, including consistent board exam results.
This episode is not isolated. India has witnessed a surge in such confrontations, with the U.S. State Department's 2022 International Religious Freedom Report noting increased arrests of Christians on conversion charges and disruptions of worship by crowds, often with police complicity. In Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, similar protests have targeted schools and churches, fueled by anti-conversion laws enacted in over a dozen states. Critics, including the All India Catholic Union, warn that such incidents erode India's secular fabric, while Hindu groups frame them as defensive measures against "demographic threats."
Political undercurrents are evident: Protesters have tagged BJP leaders, aligning the agitation with the party's Hindutva agenda ahead of upcoming municipal polls. Opposition voices, including Congress and AAP, have condemned the "hate-mongering," with AAP's Delhi convener calling for an independent probe to safeguard minority rights.
As Burari's lanes echo with unresolved grievances, the standoff at Mount Olivet lays bare deeper fault lines: the clash between religious freedom and majoritarian assertions in a nation striving for unity in diversity. With classes suspended indefinitely, the fate of 3,000 students hangs in the balance, a poignant reminder that education, meant to bridge divides, can sometimes ignite them. Authorities have promised swift action, but in Delhi's charged atmosphere, words may prove as fleeting as the winter fog.
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