‘Don’t punish students for wearing rakhi, tilak, or mehendi to schools’: NCPCR’s letter to schools

Child rights body, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), on Wednesday asked schools not to punish students for wearing rakhi, tilak, or mehendi in schools during Raksha Bandhan.

The festival of Raksha Bandhan is being celebrated nationwide on Wednesday and Thursday.

In a letter issued to the Principal Secretaries of the School Education Department of all states and UTs, the NCPCR said that it was observed in various news reports that children are harassed and discriminated against by school authorities on account of the celebration of festivals.

“It has been noticed that schools do not allow children to wear rakhi or tilak or mehandi in schools during the festival of Raksha Bandhan and subject them to harassment, both physical and mental. It may be noted that corporal punishment is prohibited in schools under Section 17 of the RTE Act, 2009,” the NCPCR said.

It asked the relevant authorities to issue directions to ensure that such practices that may expose children to corporal punishment or discrimination should not occur, said the Commission.

NCPCR is the apex child rights body overseeing the protection of the rights of children in India.

Rakhi, Tilak, and Mehendi are religious symbols that hold cultural significance. Rakhi is a decorative thread is tied around a brother’s wrist by his sister on Raksha Bandhan festival to celebrate the bond between the siblings. Tilak is a religious mark or symbol applied on the forehead, while Mehendi is the art of applying intricate and decorative designs on the hands and feet using henna paste.

Various news reports have surfaced in the past about schools inflicting harsh punishments to the students for wearing rakhi, tilak, and other religious ornaments during Raksha Bandhan and other festivals.

In such cases, some authorities in their defence, have pointed to the code of conduct and attempt to maintain an inclusive environment as the reason to prohibit students from displaying religious symbols on school premises.

Source : Hindustan Times