Journalist writes about abuse at madrassa. Today, her Facebook page is blocked

A woman journalist working with a Malayalam newspaper in Kozhikode has come under online attack following her disclosure about alleged sexual exploitation of children in madrassas.

The journalist, V P Rajeena, incurred wrath of the members of her community after she went public on Facebook on Sunday about the happenings in madrassas which she claims to have witnessed during her childhood.

Rajeena, in her post, said that at a Madrassa she went to in Kozhikode, an ‘ustaad’ or teacher called all the boys and touched them inappropriately. “First day of first class, the ustaad called boys and unzipped them, feeling them up at the wrong places,” she wrote. When the boys tried to avoid the touching, writes Rajeena, the teacher told them he was “checking the size”.

During power cuts, the 60-year-old ustad, she alleged, would walk towards the benches of the girls and grope them or poke them with a stick. “On one occasion, a senior among the girls exploded at the ustad with a warning that she would reveal everything to the senior ustad,’’ claimed Rajeena.

This led to a furore and she was flooded with obscene messages and open threats on her profile. Facebook closed down her account following mass reporting by her critics.

When contacted, Rajeena said, “My Facebook account was blocked following mass reporting. What I had said was no exaggeration but the truth and only the truth,” she said.

She also said if the threats continue, she would be forced to approach the police.

Rajeena said her motives were questioned and efforts were made to present it as an attack on the religion. 

Photograph: Journalist V P Rajeena works for a Malayali paper.