Sorry state of secularism in Indian minority establishments - By Rohini Verma

Girl Punished in School for Wearing 'Tilak' on Her Birthday

Christians declare themselves secular, but here is an eye opener for all those people who believe that Christians are secular. It is always the majority community in India that is attacked by people and media with words like “fanatic” or “right wingers”.

It is today’s news that an 11-year-old girl in Telangana was made to stand for two hours outside her school principal - Sally Joseph's room. Her crime was that she was wearing a "tilak" on her birthday. And of course she was a student of a Christian school – St. Ann School in Tarnaka area of Secunderabad. The girl was so badly affected by the incident that she refused to go to school for a few days. Now her parents have complained to the state human rights commission. Ms. Joseph refused to listen to the mother's explanation that the child had gone to a temple for her birthday. The father of the girl alleged that the principal said, "She must remember this on every birthday."

So, how can Christians declare themselves secular? Here, is another question that why parents insist on sending their children to Christian schools?

This is not the only incident of such type. In Chennai in 2012, a chemistry teacher of SBOA School and Junior College in Anna Nagar West was suspended. The teacher claimed that she was punished for reciting a Hindu prayer to students of Class XII. Usually, Christian prayers were said before the students could write their examinations. This time a teacher said a Hindu prayer and the other teachers first turned off the microphone and later the teacher was suspended.

Similarly, in another such incident a Kindergarten Hindu student was suspended by Bombay Scottish Christian school for having henna on hands.

In another incident of last year, seven girls of Mary Immaculate High School, Lakkasandra, were made to stand outside the staff room for playing Holi. Out of those seven girls, two girls named Priyanka and Sonali committed suicide after the humiliation they faced in their Christian school.

In another such shameful incident in Jaipur in 2008, seven students were suspended. St Xavier's School authorities suspended seven Class XII students for 20 days for offering puja to Lord Ganesha in their classroom on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. Father of a suspended student said that he was told by the school authorities that St Xavier's "was a school and not a temple". A few students had put up a poster of Lord Ganesha in the classroom and offered puja.

While mentioning all these incidents, one can not forget the issue of St Stephen's College of Delhi. An administrative officer of the institution Subha Kumar Dash was pressurized to convert to Christianity.  Dash alleged that in January 2014 Valson Thampu, Principal of St Stephen's College had pressurized him to convert from Hinduism to Christianity. Later serious differences started between them when he did not oblige the Principal on conversion, as a result Dash was suspended from his service.

In another incident Muthoot Finance issued a Talibanic circular to their staff. In this circular, the company banned Hindu lady staff from wearing bindhi and sindoor which is of religious significance. In the garb of dress-code they also prevented the staff from having sandalwood paste tilak or Rakhi on Rakshabandhan. Following is the copy of that circular:

So, after going through these incidents, what do you feel? Are Christians really secular and broad minded? If they are secular then why always in such incidents Hindu students are at the receiving end? Why the authorities of such schools turn fanatic when it comes to Hindu students? If some body wears a cross and comes to school will they suspend such a student? If they can suspend students for wearing tilak, or for playing Holi or for doing a puja, then why cant they suspend students taking part in Christmas celebrations in schools? Here is a question for Hindu parents too – Can the children get quality education only in Christian schools and do we really have to deal with companies like Muthoot Finance?

Published at: http://shankhnaad.net/india/social-harmony/item/205-indian-minority-secularism
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