‘Kerala will resist religious division’: Minister on schools ‘halting’ Christmas celebrations

Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty on Sunday said that the state government will resist pressure to create division along religious lines, flagging reports of schools in the state cancelling Christmas celebrations due to alleged pressure from Hindutva organisations linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, reported The Hindu.

The RSS is the parent organisation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre.

A row had erupted after reports emerged that some schools run by Hindutva organisations and a privately managed Hindu institution allegedly halted Christmas celebrations, Onmanorama reported.

However, the RSS and the management of the schools denied the allegations.

On Sunday, the state government warned that schools would not be allowed to be turned into “communal laboratories”, PTI reported. It also added that an “urgent inquiry” had been ordered.

Speaking to reporters, Sivankutty claimed that certain schools had returned money collected from students for Christmas celebrations under threat from Hindutva organisations in the “RSS-Sangh Parivar’s” orbit of influence, The Hindu reported.

“Several parents, students, and teachers complained to me,” the newspaper quoted the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader as saying. “The government is treating the matter very seriously.”

He added that action was underway against the school managements that “abandoned Christmas celebrations under threats from the RSS”.

Sivankutty said that Kerala would not tolerate practices that divide people along religious lines.

The minister accused...

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