The Aryavarth Express
Agency(Bihar): Giriraj Singh, a prominent BJP leader and Union minister, has strongly criticized the Bihar Education Department, accusing it of “terrorizing” government teachers and likening their treatment to that of “bonded labourers.” This controversy arose following the department’s directive that teachers attending a week-long training workshop during the Holi festival would lose their pay if they were absent.
Despite the Bihar government, which includes the BJP, declaring official holidays for Holi on March 26 and 27, and Good Friday on March 29, the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) issued warnings to approximately 20,000 government teachers currently engaged in the training. The training, which started on March 25, has been criticized for its timing, clashing with major festive celebrations, and has drawn rebuke from BJP members and teachers’ associations alike.
Singh voiced his support for the affected teachers and their families, stating his commitment to fighting for their rights and hinting at repercussions for officials enforcing the controversial policy. The SCERT, unmoved by the backlash, argued that postponing the training for a small fraction of teachers could disrupt the overall schedule, a stance that has only intensified the outcry.
Critics, including Nikhil Anand of the BJP OBC Morcha and Raju Singh from the TET Primary Teachers’ Association, have condemned the decision as a violation of constitutional rights and a disregard for religious practices. The insistence on proceeding with the training during Holi has been labeled as insensitive and indicative of a broader disregard for the personal and religious lives of educators.
The issue has spotlighted the tensions within the Bihar government and highlighted concerns over the autonomy and rights of teachers, with calls for immediate retraction of the SCERT’s directive and for respect towards the teaching community’s religious observances.