A wave of condemnation has swept across Kerala following reports of ‘Pada Puja’ ceremonies, where students were made to wash the feet of teachers and BJP leaders, held in multiple CBSE schools affiliated with Bharatiya Vidya Niketan (BVN), the educational wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The rituals, conducted as part of Guru Purnima celebrations on Vyasa Jayanti, have sparked protests, a suo moto case by the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, and calls for strict action from political and civil society groups.
The controversial ceremonies took place on Thursday in several schools, including Kakkachal Saraswathi Vidyalayam in Bandadka, Thrikkarippur Chakrapani Vidya Mandiram English Medium School, and Cheemeni Vivekananda Vidyamandiram in Kasaragod district, as well as Sreekandapuram Vivekananda Vidyapeedam in Kannur and Vivekananda Vidya Peedom in Mavelikara. Organized by the Vidyalaya Samiti, the events saw students kneeling to wash the feet of teachers, including retired educators, and offering flowers in a ritual meant to symbolize reverence.
In Mavelikara, students also performed the ritual on BJP district secretary Anoop, who was a guest at the function.
Visuals of the events, widely circulated on social media, triggered immediate backlash, with critics labeling the practice as “degrading,” “feudal,” and a violation of democratic values.
The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights took swift action, registering a suo moto case and seeking reports from the Bekal Deputy Superintendent of Police and Badudka police regarding the incidents in Kasaragod.
General Education Minister V. Sivankutty condemned the rituals as “undemocratic and antithetical to the principles of modern education.”
Speaking to the media on Saturday, he announced that the Department of General Education had sought a detailed report from the Director of General Education.
“Education should foster critical thinking and self-respect, not instill a slave mentality,” Sivankutty said, emphasising that schools, regardless of their syllabus, must comply with the Right to Education Act.
He warned that the department has the authority to take action against non-compliant institutions.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.
