On Friday, 11th August 2023, an incident emerged in a Vadodara school, where a teacher labelled the Ramayana as ‘fake’ and made contentious remarks about the Lord Hanuman statue in Salangpur. This triggered the involvement of Hindu organisations who intervened in the issue.
The parents alleged that a teacher of ‘New Era School’ in Makarpura, Vadodara, made controversial remarks about Hindu deities and texts in front of students in class 7. Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal activists reached the school and protested.
According to Krishna Udesinh, convener of Bajrang Dal Tarsali Prakhand, a class 7 student did not attend school. So the next day the teacher asked why that student had taken leave. So the student said that he had gone to visit Salangpur. It is alleged that the teacher then made comments about the statue of Hanumanji at Salangpur and the Ramayana.
According to reports, the teacher said that there is just a statue in Salangpur and it has been erected to earn money. She also termed the Hindu epic Ramayana as fake. When the activists of the Hindu organisations confronted the teacher and asked the student, she admitted to making those remarks. The school management then assured to take action in the matter.
The parents said that their son, who is studying in Class VII in this school, came home and told them that his teacher in the class calls the Ramayana fake and says that in Salangpur, there is just a statue raised to earn money. One of the parents said, “When I came to the school and asked the other students in the class, they also told me that the teacher had said such things. So I complained.”
Based on the complaint of the parents, the school management sought a reply from the teacher in which she apologised. The parents were also satisfied as she wrote an apology letter and asked the school not to take any further action against that teacher.
After the controversy, the principal of the school said, “When the teacher was asked, she said that the intention of her saying was that the idol of God is made of stone and if we work hard, we can move forward and you can’t just stand in front of an idol. This seems to have had an adverse effect on the minds of the students. The school board will decide whatever it deems appropriate.”
The district education officer’s office has also taken cognizance of the matter. The education inspector of the office said that the matter has been discussed over the phone with the principal of the school and it is learnt that a compromise has been reached with the parents. However, the principal has been directed to submit a written report by Monday. On the other hand, the DEO said that the education inspector will also visit the school and action will be taken if the complaint is found to be true.
