Teacher in Chennai School Punished for Reciting "Hindu Prayer"

Last updated on: June 9, 2012 at 1:40 pm by Desh Kapoor

Teacher in Chennai School Punished for Reciting "Hindu Prayer" 2012-06-09T13:40:09-05:00 Desh Kapoor

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In a school in Anna Nagar, Chennai – a chemistry teacher started reciting a prayer in the morning assembly as the kids of Class XIIth were gearing up for the exams.

First some teachers went and switched off the microphone, but the teacher continued, even more fervently, probably to compensate for the lack of loudspeaker. But that wasn’t the end of things. She was suspended for ‘manhandling and misbehaviour’.

Why? Because she was reciting a “Hindu Prayer”.

Is the school a religious school? No. But slowly it has had its top brass as Christians. As a student explained:

“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.

The school SBOA School is run from the funds of State Banks Officers’ Association. It is NOT a religious institution. Yet, it was run by a few Christian officers of the school like a missionary school, where their religious biases were imposed on a majority of students of a different faith. And worse, the student’s faith is resisted strongly to a point of victimizing it.

Maybe it is important for the accountholders and the employees of the State Bank of India to give a few lessons in education to this management by monitoring the use of their funds a little better.

The comments to the article are very interesting and informative:

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

=============

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

Why is it an issue?

Secularism works both ways. You cannot be always trying to bring the other guy down while you don’t want to be touched. You can’t breed hatred for the other person and yet profess complete indemnity yourself!

From the Popes to Mother Teresa to all the so-called “Saintly”, dinging Hinduism and the Sanatan traditions of India is a must-do for most “Holier-than-thou” Christians in India and those who come to India. No one even thinks there is anything wrong in calling Eastern Mysticism as work of Devil or practices of the devotees in India as Paganism. It is time that this kind of bias, prejudice and hate-mongering cloaked in politically correct niceties is shown for what it is.

That is why it is imperative that those who cannot give mutual respect to others should be given the message that either you change your ways of exclusivity or go find a society just like yours! There is no good in embracing Exclusive Minds.

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