KREIS revokes order banning religious festivals in residential schools amid uproar

The earlier circular, seen by HT, said that festivals “such as Ugadi, Ramzan, Christmas, Sankranti, and Eid Milad, among others, are not to be commemorated within the premises of residential schools and colleges”

The Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society (KREIS), an affiliated body of the state government, on Thursday revoked the order that banned celebrations of all religious events in schools and colleges operated by the organisation, people familiar with the matter said.

The Karnataka government had ordered that only state and national festivals will be celebrated in schools operated by KREIS. (HT Archive)

The order was issued based on the direction of social welfare minister HC Mahadevappa. According to the order, only the national and state festivals will be celebrated at schools and colleges.

Based on the minister’s orders, the Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society had issued the circular mandating the cessation of religious festival celebrations, regardless of faith, in these educational institutions.

The earlier circular, seen by HT, said that festivals “such as Ugadi, Ramzan, Christmas, Sankranti, and Eid Milad, among others, are not to be commemorated within the premises of residential schools and colleges”. The directive specified a list of “10 occasions, including national festivals, Nadahabba (state festivals), and the birth anniversaries of prominent figures” which are to be observed .

The occasions listed in the order include Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti, Kannada Rajyotsava, Ambedkar Jayanti, Valmiki Jayanti, Kanakadasara Jayanti, Basava Jayanti, Constitution Day, and Yoga Day. “Any deviation from these designated celebrations will result in stringent action against the heads of the educational institutions,” said the earlier order.

Issuing the fresh order on Thursday, the KREIS allowed the schools and colleges to celebrate all the religious festivals. “The order that was issued about the celebration of national/state and other religious events at all residential schools and college has been revoked immediately,” read the order copy issued by the KREIS.

Earlier, social welfare minister Dr H C Mahadevappa had said: “Many students studying in residential facilities in the state feel that the festivals of various religions with loud celebrations confuse them and distract them in their academic, sports, and extracurricular activities.”

The government had to withdraw the order imposed on the celebration of religious festivals following stiff opposition from parents.

A parent, Ramarajan, who goes by one name, said: “Why ban religious festivals? They bind the society together. By divesting the festivals in the residential schools, the students fail to understand the social system, and when they get out of the schools, they will have no respect for such festivals.” Disapproving the government directive, he termed it as an “audacious order which reeked of autocracy”.