In a recent case from the state of a country where teachers or gurus are given an equal position to God, a principal of a college in Gujarat was forced to touch the feet of a student.
In a widely spread video on social media, the woman principal of SAL Diploma College, Ahmedabad is seen apologizing and touching the feet of a female student. The incident took place after Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) leader Akshat Jaiswal reached Principal Monika Swami’s chamber along with other members of the ABVP and started arguing with her over the insufficient attendance of a second-semester female student at the college.
Following the argument, the principal in the video is seen pleading in front of the female student and later touching her feet for apologizing. The incident was soon criticized by the netizens, the student wing of Congress – National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), educational circles and ABVP – the students’ wing of RSS itself.
ABVP apologized for Akshat Jaiswal’s action and released a statement saying, “… the students’ wing (ABVP) has always respected the teachers, has always respected the teacher-student relationship (Guru-Shishya Parampara) and the wing does not by any means accept any actions that harm a teacher’s self-respect.”
Addressing the incident as a mistake by the members of the students’ wing, general secretary of ABVP Prarthana Amin said, “Akshat Jaiswal has been expelled from all his duties and position in the organization and the students’ wing assures that these sorts of incidents will not be repeated in the future.”
