The District Primary Education Officer has suspended four teachers for encouraging students to perform Tajia after Garba at a government school function in the Hataj village in Nadiad, Kheda district, Gujarat.
Following the government’s action, one Police Sub-Inspector and ten constables were deployed in the school vicinity to avoid untoward incidents. The Vibes of India has learnt that the school is closed and five teachers have been issued show cause notices to which they have to reply within a week. The headteacher of the school was reportedly absent during the episode.
The school won’t be allowed to open till Thursday. Jatin Patel, a village resident, told the Vibes of India that the Tajia music was played ten minutes after the garba. Apparently, the teachers didn’t stop the music despite being asked to do so.
It emerged that the next morning, a few students reported the matter to the school management. The Vibes of India understands that one of the teachers from a Milka family exhibited a devil-may-care attitude and refused to stop the Tajia music. Activists have threatened protests if she is not suspended.
The Deputy Sarpanch of the village, Iqbal Pathan, has said a curfew is imposed in the village on the slightest threat of communal violence. Even during the 2002 communal riots, the situation in the Hataj village was relatively peaceful. There were no incidents of loss of lives or property damaged.
The tranquil Hathaj village has a population of 8,000, of which 5,400 are voters. It has an even proportion of Hindu-Muslim population comprising Rajputs, Thakors, Brahmins, Vanias, Patels, Valmikis, Rohits, Devi worshipers, Bharwad communities, Pathans, Khokhars, Mirza, Bhanderi, Malek, Syed and Diwan.
‘TEACHERS DID NO WRONG’
A few teachers VOI spoke to said that the punished teachers did nothing wrong. A teacher wrote that all the good work put in by teachers during the Covid-19 pandemic was forgotten in a jiffy.
“What was wrong in making students aware of other communities’ culture? There was no malice on part of the teachers but they were punished nevertheless. There wasn’t even an inquiry conducted,” the teacher wrote.
Also Read: Teachers Accused, Suspended For Allowing Tazia Steps At Gujarat School Garba
