Kolkata school teacher booked for ‘forcing’ student to remove tilak
A Kolkata school teacher has been suspended and faces legal action after allegedly forcing a student to remove a religious tilak. The incident has drawn condemnation from state leadership, who view the act as an affront to traditional religious practices.
Why it matters
The incident highlights ongoing tensions regarding religious expression in educational institutions and the intersection of state authority with cultural identity.
A school teacher in Kolkata, West Bengal, has been suspended and police have registered a case against her for allegedly asking a student to wipe off sandalwood tilak from his forehead.
According to officials, the teacher from Holy Mission English Medium School was suspended by the school authority based on a complaint lodged by the parents of a Class 5 student. A video of the student speaking about the incident went viral on social media a few days ago.
“A teacher of a missionary school regularly harassed the student for putting chandan tilak on forehead. The student was humiliated everyday for this and was told to remove the tilak and wash face. This will not be allowed in Bengal,” Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had recently said at a public event.
He said that wearing tilak or tulsi beads is part of tradition and cannot be discouraged.
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