Religion
kalavathy
(Querist) 13 April 2014
This query is : Resolved
I am a school teacher. 2 years before I did secular prayer in the school assembly. I was suspended for that . later dismissed. I have gone for the appeal . appeal was not disposed for the period of one year. i filed the case in madras highcourt and judge ordered to dispose off the appeal within three weeks in the last month. kindly go through the affidavit i have filed in the court. you can understand my case.
when I first started chanting hindu prayer mike was switched off. i switched on the prayer and started saying the prayer. but again school authorities switched off the mike. this incident happened infront of 330 students. school students gave interviews against the school in hindu newspaper and other dailies. school pupil leader who is a muslim boy gave interview to the television channel against the school. later rss did dharnaetc
Later i filed csr complaint in the policestation for huring my religious feelings. they gave me csr no. but didnot take any action. later i lodged a complaint to commissioner of police .that was published in sun news. no action was taken.
layers are advising me to file a criminal case in magistrate court asking for direction to start fir. Is it correct . kindly advise me. A chemistry teacher of SBOA School and Junior College in Anna Nagar West was suspended last week for ‘manhandling and misbehaviour', but the teacher claimed that she was punished for reciting a Hindu prayer to students of Class XII . I couldnot attach a file . so i have reproduced hindu paper comments below
On March 13, as the students were gearing up for their examination, teachers were about to recite their routine prayer. “Since the usual group of teachers pray before every examination, I volunteered this time. I said a prayer invoking the blessings of Hindu, Christian and Muslim Gods,” said the teacher, P. Abirami.
Even as Ms. Abirami was reciting the prayer, some of the other teachers allegedly turned off the microphone. “If they had an issue with my prayer, they could have called me aside and spoken to me rather than behaving rudely in front of students,” she said. “I did not give up but continued to say the prayers even more fervently,” she added.
Students on Wednesday said it was unusual for teachers to behave in this way. “Usually a Christian prayer is said before we write examinations. But last week a teacher said some Hindu mantras and the other teachers tried to stop her by turning off the microphone,” said a student.
Principal P. C. Selvarani, said that disciplinary action was taken against the teacher for behaving in an inappropriate manner . “The teacher does not handle Class XII and was on paper-correction duty that day. In spite of this, she came to up the dais, grabbed the mike and started speaking,” she said. “It was against the code of conduct. She just intervened.,” she said.
This sparked off protests by the BJP, VHP and the Hindu Munnani. Their activists staged a protest outside the school on Wednesday, following which 60 people were arrested and later released.
Comments:
It was a very deplorable act.Though I belong to RCM I condemn this attitude of other teachers for obstructing their fellow teacher from reciting the prayer by putting off the mike as if she committed a grave mistake.Action may therefore,be taken against the school authorities concerned including teachers responsible for the ill treatment meted out to the poor teacher and advise all the school authorities irrespective of their religious affiliation to strictly recite only VANDEMATARAM.I appreciate the teacher for her boldness for not giving up saying the prayer in spite of the odds.
from: Anthony Rao Reddy
Posted on: Mar 22, 2012 at 02:12 IST
why Christian prayers. SBOA school is not a christian mission school. then why Christian prayer? Schools should have national anthem and general Tamil prayers praying for all welfare. The principal should be taken to task and case filed against her for communal incitement.
from: honga singh
Posted on: Mar 22, 2012 at 08:24 IST
This incident is very true, I was also shocked when I heard that the teacher was not allowed to say the hindu prayers. SBOA is not a christian school, but seems like its being dominated by them. I hear that only christian prayers are allowed. VERY SAD. There are so many prayers which do not stress on religion, which should be made universal instead of following certain religion prayers...
from: sandy
Posted on: Mar 22, 2012 at 14:23 IST
I was a student at the school from its small beginning and finished my XII there. I am a proud alumni of the school and have always been thankful for the education I received there even before its rise. But I am very disappointed in the action of the school and the principal, who was a long-time and favourite teacher of mine. It was always run as a Christian school and the majority of the staff were Christian as well. Hope they apologise to the teacher in question and the community as a whole.
from: sowmya
Posted on: Mar 22, 2012 at 15:29 IST
This is shocking. From what the student says that only Christian prayers are recited before exams. What kind of a secularism is that, particularly if a teacher is punished for reciting a Hindu prayer on one of the days? An enquiry should be conducted and if indeed there is communalism being practiced by the principal in favour of Christianity, strict action should be taken. Secularism does not mean "anti-hinduism" and it is the government's duty to ensure that.
from: Sreedhar Pothukuchi
Posted on: Mar 22, 2012 at 16:02 IST
the SBOA management is seeding hatred among the students especially to the Hindus. SBOA is not a christian institution hence how come the students pray christian songs. The matter has to be probed. the principal should immediately put under suspension pending inquiryby Education dept. This clearly shows high handedness of the management.Let them know that this is a democratic country where they can make any non sense.
from: t r subramanian
Posted on: Mar 22, 2012 at 22:59 IST
And if the opposite would've happened then the entire Indian media would
be up in arms in this travesty of secularism.
Shame really!
from: Sujan Bandho
Posted on: Mar 23, 2012 at 10:35 IST
I am student of SBOA, and sad to hear this.. we had always had Christian prayers before examinations.. Not a wrong one.. but by not allowing a teacher to say a prayer other than Christian one is really bad.. Then there is no secularism there.. sigh.. my school is in the news for all wrong reasons :-(
from: Ram G
Posted on: Mar 23, 2012 at 21:35 IST
I studied in this school. The current Principal, Selvarani mam was one of the best Math teachers in Chennai. All students used loved her method of teaching. I am very appalled to know that she would act in this manner. It would have been perfectly fine if no religion was showed down the student's throat. That has never been the case in SBOA. It always felt like we were studying in a Christian Missionary school. While the school is funded by State Bank Officer's association, the school management has no business to run it like a Christian Missionary. The State Bank Officer's Association is also responsible since they turned a blind eye to all these issues over several years. Now is the time for some stern action.
from: Anand
Posted on: Mar 23, 2012 at 21:52 IST
Prayer has no place in schools. You cannot offend athiests or students of religions other than ones listed.
from: Ram Narayanan
Posted on: Mar 24, 2012 at 06:13 IST
kalavathy
(Querist) 13 April 2014
please advise me
Dr J C Vashista
(Expert) 14 April 2014
1. Contact/engage a local lawyer, explain the facts and circumstances with case details, handover brief with vakalatnama, pay fees (as agreed)and proceed.
2. Please be brief and specific on this platform, if you have some legal query.
Sudhir Kumar, Advocate
(Expert) 14 April 2014
You have given a long narrative which I could not even read fully.
facts are being jumbled in emotional manner.
You have to stated whether you were teaching in Govt school are private or minority school.
Morevoer there had been disciplinary action, there was appeal and matter ins in High Court. One needs to read all 5-10 Kg load of papers before giving any proper workable advise.
ajay sethi
(Expert) 14 April 2014
when you raise your query on this site be brief and to the point . you should summarize your case in 2 short paras
Devajyoti Barman
(Expert) 14 April 2014
experts have no time to read such a long query.
R.K Nanda
(Expert) 14 April 2014
query too long to reply.
Rajendra K Goyal
(Expert) 14 April 2014
Politics and teaching are separate, While in school you must observe school discipline and should not go with religions activities against school ideology. If you are against the particular religious activity of school, in spite of opposing it through so called indiscipline in school you should have opposed it legally and out of school. A teacher or employee of school must observe and teach discipline and should not adopt political avenue to thrust his ideology.
Consult a local lawyer and show him all the documents.
Sudhir Kumar, Advocate
(Expert) 14 April 2014
you were teaching in Govt school are private or minority school.
T. Kalaiselvan, Advocate
(Expert) 14 April 2014
Agreed that if the problems which needs proper opinion to get tackled, is in a brief form, the experts amidst their tight schedules, will be able to find time to analyse and give their opinion accordingly, therefore, henceforth adopt the same not only here but also elsewhere so that you will not confuse the expert/lawyer by putting many things together at a time.
malipeddi jaggarao
(Expert) 14 April 2014
It is the shame on the part of leaders of State Bank of India Officers Association allowing the faculty to preach a different religion instead of maintaining secularism. These leaders, who are supposed to run ideal school, if they are unable to, what would they do for their members? I know many of them are henchmen to the Bank Managements, never pay/heed genuine difficulties of their members except collecting the monthly subscription as hafta, but it is surprising that they are so lethargic to control the faculty of their own school. They do not save the lives of their members, but they do not have the right to spoil the minds of the students in their school. I suggest that they should close the school forthwith if they cannot control this menace.
As regards remedy, I agree with the expert Dr.Vashista.
