St. Gerosa High School, a Catholic school in South India, has allegedly suspended the nun teacher after parents and students accused her of making derogatory remarks about Hindu gods, the Hindu religion, and PM Modi during a Moral Science lesson on February 12, 2024.
A local legislator from the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forced students at the school to chant "Jai Sri Ram" (Hail Lord Ram).
During a moral education class in early February, an audio clip from the mother of a student went viral, alleging the nun referred to Hindu gods derogatorily.
On February 12, Vedavyas Kamath, a legislator, led Hindu groups to barge into the school, demanding the immediate suspension of Sister Prabha (40), who had been a teacher at the school for over ten years.
While the Education Department was conducting an investigation, the Sisters of Maria Bambina, who manage the school's administration, immediately suspended the nun and appointed another teacher to the position.
An audio clip shows the mother claiming that the teacher claimed Lord Ram was a myth and the Ramayana and Mahabharat were only epics.
The Hindu woman also claimed that the teacher accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of promoting the Ayodhya temple for political gain.
After another parent filed a police officer report accusing Sister Prabha of insulting Lord Rama and the Ayodhya Sri Ram Mandir on February 8, the controversy began.
On January 22, Indian Prime Minister Modi inaugurated Ayodhya Sri Ram Mandir, the birthplace of Lord Ram's birthplace.
On February 12, Mullai Muhilan, Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada, along with officials from the Education Department and police, visited the school to investigate the matter.
Father Faustine Lobo, a senior priest of the Mangalore diocese, told Matters India that everything appeared to be a "pre-planned stage drama" and a hook-up story to promote the election campaign.
“It is claimed that the teacher has been repeating the same things for five years, so why is this protest taking place right now?” The priest asked who said the protest was part of a national agenda to disrupt Christian schools.
The new federal government in India will take over in May after the current BJP-led administration has served its five-year term.
During a seventh-grade moral science class titled "Work Is Worship," Sister Prabha delivers those remarks.
In addition, she reportedly made objectionable remarks about the Godhra incident and the subsequent Gujarat riots in 2002, following the consecration of the Ram Lalla Idol in Ayodhya.
Sister Anitha, the school headmistress, commented on the issue and stated that the school would follow the inquiry team's final decision. She also emphasized that this incident has never occurred in the school's 60-year history. Despite its temporary mistrust, we follow constitutional values and treat everyone equally regardless of faith or community."
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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