08-09-2009, 02:39 AM
<b>Students not allowed to wear rakhis, activists stage protest</b>
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->PANAJI: There were protests in front of the education department on Friday after students of a Canacona school were not allowed to wear
rakhis on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.
After parents reported the incident, members of the Hindu Jan Jagruti Samiti staged a protest in the capital. However, director of education Celsa Pinto was quick to respond and assured the protesters that circulars would be dispatched to all schools asking them not to hurt religious sentiments.
<b>On August 5, the occasion of the Hindu festival, students of St Sebastian's High School, Loliem, Canacona, went to the school with rakhis tied to their wrists. However, the headmistress is reported to have called the students to her cabin where she allegedly snapped the rakhis.</b>
Hindu Jan Jagruti Samiti president Jayesh Thali, along with a delegation, met Pinto and told her that the feelings of the Hindu community were hurt. He also said that the headmistress had disrespected Hindu culture.
The delegation later submitted a memorandum to Pinto saying that steps should be taken to put a stop to such incidents. The delegation also demanded the headmistress' suspension and action against the school management.
Pinto in learnt to have immediately sent a fax to South Goa deputy director of education calling for a report on the incident.
"In this regard, we can't take any action against the headmistress, but we can send a letter to the management asking it to initiate an inquiry," she told parents, adding, "To maintain harmony, we will send circulars to all the schools asking them not to hurt religious sentiments."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->PANAJI: There were protests in front of the education department on Friday after students of a Canacona school were not allowed to wear
rakhis on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.
After parents reported the incident, members of the Hindu Jan Jagruti Samiti staged a protest in the capital. However, director of education Celsa Pinto was quick to respond and assured the protesters that circulars would be dispatched to all schools asking them not to hurt religious sentiments.
<b>On August 5, the occasion of the Hindu festival, students of St Sebastian's High School, Loliem, Canacona, went to the school with rakhis tied to their wrists. However, the headmistress is reported to have called the students to her cabin where she allegedly snapped the rakhis.</b>
Hindu Jan Jagruti Samiti president Jayesh Thali, along with a delegation, met Pinto and told her that the feelings of the Hindu community were hurt. He also said that the headmistress had disrespected Hindu culture.
The delegation later submitted a memorandum to Pinto saying that steps should be taken to put a stop to such incidents. The delegation also demanded the headmistress' suspension and action against the school management.
Pinto in learnt to have immediately sent a fax to South Goa deputy director of education calling for a report on the incident.
"In this regard, we can't take any action against the headmistress, but we can send a letter to the management asking it to initiate an inquiry," she told parents, adding, "To maintain harmony, we will send circulars to all the schools asking them not to hurt religious sentiments."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->