The Assam school education department has requested the directorates dealing with elementary and secondary education and the SCERT in the state to "ensure" students are not punished/ discriminated against for wearing "rakhis, tilaks etc" during festivals.
The directive was issued by A. Barman, deputy secretary, school education department, on October 1 but surfaced in public domain on Friday in response to the August 8 letter of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairperson Priyank Kanoonga "on harassment and discrimination in schools such as not allowing children to wear rakhis, tilaks etc practiced by school teachers and other staff during celebration of festivals."
The department then requested the directorates of secondary education, elementary education and the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) to "ensure" that all schools "do not observe such practices that may expose children to corporal punishment or discrimination" by issuing instructions.
The department said this directive has the "approval of the highest authority".
Assam has had a BJP-led coalition state government since 2017.
NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo in his August 8 letter to all states had flagged that schools "do not allow children to wear rakhi or tilak or mehendi in schools during festivals such as Raksha Bandhan and subject them to harassment, both physical and mental" while reminding the states that "corporal punishment is prohibited in schools under Section 17 of the RTE Act, 2009. A letter in this regard was issued on 30.08. 2023." Seeking a compliance report from the states by August 17, the NCPCR letter also said: "As the festivals are approaching, it is requested to issue necessary directions to the concerned authorities and ensure that schools do not observe any such practice that may expose children to corporal punishment or discrimination." Guwahati-based Rightwing group Kutumba Surakshya Parishad (KSP) welcomed the move. KSP chief Satya Ranjan Borah alleged that "missionary schools" harassed students for wearing tilaks or rakhis.
