Telangana School Attacked For Questioning Students' Religious Clothing

Religious clothing at educational institutes has precipitated myriad challenges in India. In a recent case, a Hindutva group in Telangana's Mancherial allegedly vandalised a school and attacked the staff for questioning some students' saffron attire. According to reports, some students of Blessed Mother Teresa High School were wearing attire as part of a 21-day special religious observance. The principal, Father Jaimon Joseph, allegedly questioned the students and demanded that they bring in their parents to discuss this. 

On April 16, an enraged group of men allegedly vandalised the school property by shattering windows and flower pots and pelting stones on the statue of St. Mother Teresa. Following a complaint from the students' parents, police have registered a case against the principal and another staff member for hurting religious sentiments.

School Attacked Over Religious Attire Row

The principal of Blessed Mother Teresa High School reportedly questioned some students for wearing saffron attire on April 14. Father Jaimon Joseph demanded the students bring their parents to school to discuss if they would be permitted to do so. Following this, a mob of saffron-clad men attacked the school two days later. 

CCTV footage shows the men chanting Hindu religious slogans and vandalising the property. “Some of them slapped and threw punches at me while others attacked me from behind,” Joseph told UCA News. Some reports state that some men gheraoed him and applied tilak on his forehead, while also threatening the other staff there.

The mob accused the school administration of not giving Hindu students the freedom to wear their religious attire. The videos show the men pelting stones at windows and a Mother Teresa statue. The school management has complained to local police, but no arrests have been made against the attackers yet. 

Recent Similar Case

In another similar case from February 2024, a Saraswati Puja celebration at an art college in Tripura invited an Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and Bajrang Dal row. The ceremony in Agartala was brought to a halt when a video of the idol without a saree started circulating online, angering the religious unions over the alleged misrepresentation of the Goddess.

Dibakar Acharjee, the general secretary of the Tripura ABVP told ANI, "The idol of Goddess Saraswati was sculptured in a very wrong and vulgar way." The protestors caused a ruckus and compelled the institute to drape a saree on the idol. They also demanded strict action from Chief Minister Manik Saha.