The annual Christmas party and a sit-in with a dressed up Santa is a regular feature in most urban and semi-urban schools across India. Clearly, however for promoters of a rigid majoritarian state, Hindu rashtra, this is not acceptable.
The education officer of Madhya Pradesh’s Shajapur district has, in a written order dated December 14, as reported by The Indian Express, said that both government and private schools will face action if students take part in Christmas-related events without the permission of their parents. This, interestingly, includes children dressing up as Santa Claus or Christmas trees for plays or other events.
The written order by district education officer Vivek Dubey, issued on December 14, reads, “Students should not be made part of Christmas-related events, including making them dress up or play roles like Santa Claus and Christmas tree, without the written consent of parents, to prevent any untoward situation or incident.”
“Unilateral disciplinary action will be proposed against your organisation if there are complaints in this regard,” it added. In a justification of what may be seen as an arbitrary action, Dubey is reported to have said there have been complaints in the past, and that the order does not ban Christmas events in schools.
“The circular does not ban any events in schools during the coming festive season. In the past, there have been instances of parents complaining about their wards being made part of such events in schools without their consent, and the circular is aimed at preventing such disputes. It’s better to prevent such controversies rather than acting after the incident has occurred,” he said.
This story was originally published in sabrangindia.in. Read the full story here .