“India’s first Muslim teacher Fatima Sheikh never existed? Writer-activist Dilip Mandal says he invented the ‘fictional character’”, Opindia, January 9, 2025:
“In a sensational claim, author and activist Dilip Mandal has claimed that Fatima Sheikh, celebrated as India’s first Muslim school teacher, never existed. In a post on X on 9 January, Mandal claimed that Fatima Sheikh is a fictional character created by him, and that she was never a real person or historical figure.
He also said that that is why there is no photograph of Fatima Sheikh, and the sketch being used is also fictional. In the post titled Confession, Dilip Mandal wrote, “I had created a myth or a fabricated character and named her Fatima Sheikh. Please forgive me. The truth is that “Fatima Sheikh” never existed; she is not a historical figure. Not a real person. It is my mistake that, during a particular phase, I created this name out of nothing—essentially from thin air. I did that knowingly.”
He claimed that here is not a single entry for her in a Google search earlier, saying “No article, no book, no mention. Nothing.” Mandal added that his interest in her vanished in 2022 when he abandoned the story of Fatima Sheikh. She came in social media narrative and just vanished, he said……”
Read the full article at Opindia.com
