Rajasthan Education Minister faces heat over Dalit teacher’s suspension

Rajasthan Education Minister faces backlash over suspension of Dalit teacher for refusing to worship Goddess Saraswati.

Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar is facing heat over the suspension of a Dalit woman teacher on charges of hurting religious sentiments by refusing to worship Goddess Saraswati at the Republic Day function at her school in Baran district. Dalit groups here have registered strong protest and sought Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s intervention in the matter.

Hemlata Bairwa, Prabodhak level-1 teacher posted at the government primary school at Lakdai village in Baran district’s Kishanganj block, was placed under suspension last week, a day after Mr. Dilawar announced the action against her at a public meeting in the town. Ms. Bairwa was ordered to report at the Directorate of Elementary Education, Bikaner, during the suspension period.

Ms. Bairwa, who put up the pictures of Mahatma Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar and Savitribai Phule at the school’s function on January 26, had refused to place a painting of Goddess Saraswati at the stage. When some villagers got into an argument with her and demanded that the Goddess be worshipped with flowers, the teacher refused to be cowed down.

The video clips of the incident depicted Ms. Bairwa as saying that Savitribai Phule should be respected for her contribution to education and asking what had Goddess Saraswati really done in the field of academics. The villagers were seen threatening her and accusing her of hurting Hindu religious sentiments.

Mr. Dilawar announced at a public gathering in Kishanganj on February 22 that he was suspending “those who give weightage to themselves so much that they question the contribution of Goddess Saraswati”. A day after the Minister’s announcement, the Baran District Education (Elementary) Officer issued the order for Ms. Bairwa’s suspension.

The suspension order came shortly after similar action was taken against three Muslim teachers in neighbouring Kota district on charges of religious conversion, compelling the students to offer namaz (Islamic prayer) on the school premises and having links with the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) and other outfits.

While the Education Department stated that the suspension order against Ms. Bairwa was issued only after the completion of initial inquiry, the Dalit teacher has since reiterated her stance, saying she was in favour of maintaining secular character of the government’s educational institutions. “I respect the gods of all religions, but our heads should bow only before those who have contributed to the nation building,” Ms. Bairwa said.