Shekinah Mukhiya was one of the six finalists in a national music reality show. The 11-year-old singer could not win Voice India Kids telecast on &TV, but won many hearts across the country. However, her school, St Thomas College in Dehradun, remained unmoved and, in fact, refused to promote her from Class 6 to Class 7 as her participation affected her attendance, reported The Times of India.
Fortunately, Col Brown Cambridge School, an all-boys' academy, has agreed to make an exception in her case after her parents approached the prestigious institution, which was established in 1926 and where famous personalities such as former Prime minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh and actor Raj Kapoor studied.
Shekinah will be the only girl student in Class 7 and the entire school. The new academic session will begin from April 12, reported the newspaper.
But, here, Shekinah will have to dress up like boys.
“I will wear a white shirt with green stripes and dark green pants like the boys at school,” she said.
She will also be given access to the toilet in the staff room as all the other restrooms are for boys only. The girl will be staying with her parents on campus as they are both teachers at the school, added the report.
Shekinah has been singing rhymes from an early age - from when she saw her father, a self-taught singer, perform on stage. His love for music was passed on to her, reported NDTV.
She performed in front of coaches such as Shaan, Himesh, Palak Muchhal and Papon while her father Vikas strummed the guitar during her performances.
"I was nervous as well as excited in the audition rounds. I sang Kaisi Pehli Hai Yeh Zindagani which was liked by all the coaches and that boosted my morale," she told NDTV.
