An incident of discrimination by a school against Hindu students has come to light in Delhi. The school staff reportedly forced students to cut sacred threads on their wrists and tore the posters of Lord Ram. The Hindu students were also punished for applying tilak to their foreheads and saying Jai Shri Ram. The students who said Jai Shri Ram were not allowed to appear for the examination.
In this case, Hindu organizations protested outside the school. The police had to arrive at the scene to control the situation. After the protests, the students’ suspension was revoked. The sacred threads were cut on 16th May 2023. Posters of Hindu deity Lord Ram were ton on 19th May 2023. The protests against these incidents were held on 20th May 2023.
The incident took place at Vansthali Public School located in Phase 3 of Mayur Vihar. Many Hindu children here have collectively accused their teacher, Anoop Rawat, of cutting the sacred threads tied on their wrists. The cut threads were thrown into the dustbin.
The students also allege that another teacher, Ravi, tore a poster of Lord Rama in the classroom and later suspended students who said “Jai Shri Ram.” The number of suspended students is reported to be 9. A video of the students’ collective complaint is also going viral on social media.
क्लास में भगवान राम का पोस्टर फाड़ा, कलावें कटवाए, जय श्री राम बोलने पर विद्यार्थियों को एग्जाम नही देने दिया और ससपेंड कर दिया…
— हमारे मंदिर (@ourtemples_) May 20, 2023
ये है दिल्ली के मयूर विहार फेज-3 का वनस्थली पब्लिक स्कूल…#JaiShriRam pic.twitter.com/SRsdfujxw6
According to one student’s accusation, those who said “Jai Shri Ram” were subjected to running 10 laps around the school before being suspended the following day. One student identified himself as a devotee of Lord Ram. Several chat conversations pertaining to this incident have gone viral on social media, featuring students engaging in discussions about the school event. It is mentioned in these viral chats that the teacher responsible for the running punishment is named Ritu.
Upon the rapid dissemination of information about the incident, Hindu organizations and students’ parents gathered at the school gate, staging a protest. They demanded immediate action against the accused teachers and the reversal of the students’ suspensions. In response, the police team was informed and promptly arrived at the scene. The police made efforts to mediate between the involved parties, which included schools, Hindu organizations and parents. During this period, some confrontations occurred between the two sides. It is noteworthy that Vansthali School was founded in 2002, and its management includes Rohit Jain as the managing director and Anuradha Jain as the principal.
OpIndia spoke to one affected student in this case. The student revealed that their sacred thread (kalava) was cut by the sports teacher, Ravi, on May 16th. Another sports teacher, Anoop, entered the classroom on May 19th and tore a poster of Lord Ram. Following this, the third sports teacher, Ritu, targeted students who said “Jai Shri Ram” and made them run laps around the school. The student further explained that the school principal has verbally suspended these three teachers, without any written order. The student also claimed that the suspended students have been reinstated.
In a video that has gone viral from inside the school, municipal councillor Munesh has also mentioned the expulsion of a teacher from the school. When OpIndia called the school numbers to verify this information about the suspensions, no one answered the calls. The official mobile number of the school was also reported to be out of service. Once the school version becomes available, it will be updated in the news.
The teachers named Ritu, Ravi, and Anoop harassed and cut the sacred threads (kalava) of five students in the school in the name of Lord Ram. Victim students have identified teacher Ritu to be a Christian. The student claims that the poster displayed in the class was created by someone for a painting competition. It was also mentioned that while other posters and paintings were left untouched, the teacher Anoop tore apart the picture of Lord Ram, citing the lack of permission to display it, and threw it in the dustbin.
According to the aggrieved student, the sacred threads (kalava) of students studying in Class 10 were cut, and a poster of Lord Ram was torn in Class 9. Some students informed that the accused teachers have committed similar actions even in the past. Additionally, the student claimed that Ritu, Ravi, and Anoop used to discourage them from applying tilak.
The student distressed because of the actions carried out by three physical education teachers at the school informed OpIndia that the “Bajrang Dal” has filed a complaint with the police. However, the student was unaware of the outcome of the complaint investigation. The student alleged that the school staff changes their way of communication and behaviour when they see the presence of the police, media, and Hindu organizations while presenting themselves differently to the students. The school principal has stated that she had no prior knowledge of the incident.
The student also expressed doubts about her statement and questioned how the children could be suspended without her knowledge. When OpIndia called DCP East Delhi for information about the police action, the calls went unanswered. Once the police version becomes available, it will be updated in the news.
According to the aggrieved student, after the uproar, the school principal tried to suppress the matter by tying sacred threads to their hands again and assured them that such incidents would not happen again. The student also mentioned that considering the tense situation, the school management has temporarily introduced online classes.
