Indian Catholic school denies discriminating against Hindu student

An official from a Catholic school in India’s northeastern Assam state has dismissed an allegation that a teacher forcibly removed a ‘tilak’ — a red circular sacred Hindu mark — from the forehead of a student. Salesian priest Ethelbert Minj, in-charge of Don Bosco School in Sonitpur district, said the allegation levelled by the family of a Hindu student was fabricated and prompted by a right-wing Hindu group. The response came after the uncle of the child lodged a complaint with local police that a schoolteacher forcibly removed the ‘tilak’ from her forehead on June 23 and thus hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus. Minj alleged the child’s uncle was prompted by the right-wing Bajrang Dal group which he claimed seeks to tarnish the hard-earned reputation of the institute. “Our school has been in this locality for more than a decade and no such incident was reported in the past. The school does not discriminate children on the basis of caste, creed and religion,” the priest told UCA News on June 25. “This incident is purely influenced by groups who wants to divide people in the name of religion, caste and creed,” he claimed, adding the school would cooperate with the police to establish the truth. Quoting the parents, some local media reported the incident left the child traumatized. In the police complaint, the child’s uncle accused the teacher of violating the constitutional right to religious freedom. Allen Brooks, spokesperson of the ecumenical group, Assam Christian Forum, said such an allegation is unprecedented and hard to believe. “Our institutions have always respected and accommodated all religions and cultures, maintaining a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere,” Brooks told