An alleged incident involving a teacher belonging to a minority community at Upgraded High School in Ramkanda block of Garhwa district has prompted an official investigation after claims surfaced that students were asked to remove their kalava (sacred wrist threads) and religious lockets while attending class.
The episode has triggered strong protests from parents and local residents.
The controversy came to light after students reportedly narrated the incident to their families upon returning home on Wednesday.
According to the parents, the teacher instructed some children to take off the sacred threads tied around their wrists as well as lockets carrying religious symbols. They further alleged that a few students who resisted the instruction were reprimanded by the teacher.
News of the alleged incident spread rapidly across the locality, drawing widespread resentment among villagers. Soon afterwards, a large number of parents and residents assembled on the school premises and demonstrated against the teacher, demanding strict action.
The protesters argued that no student should be compelled to remove articles associated with their faith and stressed that educational institutions must uphold equal respect for every religion and community.
Also read: NEET re-exam: Row over hijab, sacred thread at Ahmedabad centre
The protest created tension on the campus for some time before school authorities and local residents intervened to restore normalcy.
Acting on complaints received from parents, the Garhwa district administration ordered an inquiry into the allegations. Garhwa Deputy Commissioner directed the Education Department to investigate the matter and submit a detailed report.
An inquiry team subsequently visited the school and recorded statements from the headmaster, the teacher concerned, students and their parents. The officials are examining whether the students were indeed instructed to remove their sacred threads and lockets, and if so, under what circumstances the alleged directions were issued.
The team also collected relevant records and other material from the school as part of the investigation. The teacher at the centre of the controversy has not issued any official statement so far.
Officials said the probe is being conducted impartially and that statements from all stakeholders, along with other available evidence, are being carefully scrutinised before arriving at any conclusion.
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