Kerala GUV defends students doing 'pada puja' in schools

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar defended the incident of students performing Pada Puja (a Hindu ritual of worship involving the washing of feet) of senior teachers in various schools on Guru Purnima. The governor said that Guru Puja is a part of the culture of the country and there is nothing wrong with it, but some people are opposing it.

Arlekar claimed that those who do not teach children about heritage oppose Guru Puja. He wondered what is wrong with children learning Sanatana Dharma, Puja and culture and what is wrong with conducting Guru Puja in schools. Asking whether Gurus deserved to be respected, he claimed that Guru Puja is part of the culture and heritage of this country.

There was a controversy over the incident of Pada Puja in Kerala, where students in various schools washed the feet of retired teachers on Guru Purnima Day. Various youth organizations and student organizations had come forward to protest the incident.

Minister for General Education in the state V Sivankutty came forward the other day, strongly criticizing 'foot worship'. The minister stated that the incident of students washing the feet of teachers was condemnable and that an explanation would be sought since the government is taking the incident very seriously. He said that such actions in public schools are against democratic values and deserve to be protested. Sivankutty said that such rituals that instil a slave mentality in students could not be accepted under any circumstances.