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Udupi: A guest physical education teacher at the Morarji Desai Residential School, Miyar in Karkala has been terminated following allegations that he compelled students to remove the religious symbols including sacred thread they were wearing.
The teacher, identified as Madarasha S Makamdar, from Kalaburagi, had been appointed on a temporary basis.
The principal of the school on Monday has stated that the guest physical education teacher of the school has been removed with immediate effect. Makamdar had been working as a guest physical education teacher in the school since June 23.
Parents alleged that he had been punishing young students by making them perform sit-ups with their hands held to their ears, and forcing them to remove their janivara (sacred thread) and sacred wrist threads.
A video of parents and residents confronting the staff of the residential school has gone viral. Parents who reached the school sought immediate action against the teacher.
They questioned the teacher as to why he asked students to remove sacred threads and do 200 sit-ups. Makamdar apologised to parents, and the principal agreed to take action against the teacher.
Social thinker Ramitha Sooryavamshi, in her reaction to the incident, has stated ‘janivara’, the sacred thread, holds its own sanctity in Hinduism.
She said that the teacher has insulted the Hindu religious sentiments.The incident had insulted Hindu beliefs, which can not be accepted.
"I urge the education department and police department to take legal action against Makamdar,” she said.