Students wash teachers' feet as part of Gurupooja in Kerala schools, Govt seeks explanation

Thiruvananthapuram: The General Education Minister V Sivankutty sought an explanation from two private schools in Kasaragod and Mavelikara following reports that students washing the feet of teachers as part of a ceremony had emerged.

Sivankutty on Saturday condemned the incidents, stating that such practices are “deeply inappropriate” and run counter to the values of a democratic and progressive education system.

According to reports, the incidents occurred at Saraswathi Vidyalayam in Bandadka, Kasaragod, and Vidyadhiraja Vidyapeetom Sainik School in Mavelikara, Alappuzha, both affiliated with the CBSE and managed by Bharatiya Vidya Niketan.

“The government views these incidents with utmost seriousness. Such acts are unacceptable and deserve public condemnation,” Minister Sivankutty said in a statement.

“Education should foster a scientific temper and progressive thinking. Acts that promote feudal or slavish mindsets among students are regressive and cannot be accepted under any circumstances.” The minister further stated that the Director of General Education has been instructed to seek an urgent explanation from the schools concerned. “Education is meant to impart knowledge and self-respect. We cannot allow any practice that symbolically subjugates students,” he said. “This country fought hard to secure education rights for all, rising above caste-based discrimination. That hard-won right should never be trampled beneath anyone’s feet.”

He added that strict action would be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents and that the Education Department is assigned to act against any institution, regardless of the syllabus it follows, if it violates the Right to Education Act or other related norms.

In response, Vidyadhiraja Vidyapeetom Sainik School in Mavelikara clarified that the ceremony was part of their annual Gurupooja celebrations held on the occasion of Guru Purnima. “We conduct Gurupooja every year. This time, the day coincided with the Bharat Bandh, so the celebration was postponed to the following day. The pooja is a part of our cultural values, and we are just instilling these values in our students,” Balu, a school staff member, told Onmanorama.

“All students and their parents attend voluntarily. No one is forced to do anything. They bring their own puja materials from home and perform the rituals out of their own will,” he added.

Balu alleged that the controversy was politically driven. “This is an unnecessary issue fuelled by a political agenda. Not just our school, but many institutions under the same management conduct similar Gurupooja observances,” he said. The school has reportedly initiated legal action against those spreading what it terms as “misinformation” regarding the event.

Onmanorama reached out to Saraswathi Vidyalayam in Bandadka for a response, but the school authorities could not be contacted.