Missionary school beats & punishes Hindu student for wearing Kalawa [ Jharkhand, India ]

[ Reported as seen ]

On Thursday, July 20, a teacher of Carmel High School, Hindi Medium, situated in Bokaro Thermal in Jharkhand, beat up a class 9 student for wearing a sacred thread on his wrist, ( called Kalawa ).  Carmel High School, Hindi Medium, is a government-aided, missionary school.

As per a media report, a student named Karan Thakur reached school wearing a Kalawa on his wrist. The monitor of his classroom complained about this to a school teacher named Amit Lakda. The teacher, in turn, scolded Karan and asked him to remove the sacred thread. He told the student that wearing the sacred thread is forbidden in school and ordered him to remove it immediately.

The student, however, refused to remove the Kalawa, saying that it was a matter of his faith. Infuriated, the teacher started beating and humiliating him in front of the class. He put the student under such mental pressure that he began to cry and reluctantly cut the Kalawa tied to his wrist with a blade. The teacher reprimanded the student and asked him to get his father to school the next day.

The teacher, Amit Lakda, in his vague defence said that all religions are respected in the school and that there was no discrimination against anyone. Media reports have quoted the principal of the school Sister Joyce Kullu A.C. as saying that she did not have any information about the student being assaulted by the teacher.

It is a common practice in Christian schools that the Hindu students are not respected when it comes to their rituals and festivals. Whereas, Christianity is imposed on them. It is only late that parents like that of Karan Thakur are coming forth and raising their voice against this injustice.