A female teacher in Rajasthan was suspended after she asked tribal women to not apply 'sindoor' or wear 'Mangalsutra', symbolic 'marks' worn by most married Hindu women.
The move came after the teacher on July 19 prompted the tribal women to not follow anything that 'pandits' say. She made these comments at the Mangarh Dham in Banswara at a mega rally.
Her comments were objected by the tribal community after which the Joint Director of the Education Department suspended the teacher, as per an IANS report.
Speaking at a rally at Mangarh Dham in Rajasthan's Banswara district, tribal activist Menka Damor had said that tribals are not Hindus and asked the tribal women to not wear mangalsutra and apply 'sindoor' (vermilion).
Damor said the culture of the tribal community is different from Hindus.
"I neither wear mangalsutra nor apply 'sindoor'. I also do not observe any 'vrat' (fast)," she said.
Damor said that a school is a temple of education but it has been made the home of gods.
"Our schools have been made the home of gods and goddesses. It is a temple of education, there should not be any festival there," she said.
Numerous people from the tribal communities of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra were present at the rally.
Currently posted at the Government Higher Secondary School, Saadaa, Maneka Damor is also a founder of the Adivasi Parivar Sanstha, according to the IANS report.
At the same rally, MP Rajkumar Roat assured the people that A delegation will meet President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the proposal for a separate state for the the Bhil community.
In the rally that had been organised by the tribal leaders, newly elected MP Roat said the formation of a 'Bhil state' is long due and the Bhartiya Adivasi Party (BAP) is raising the issue with full strength.
"The demand for Bhil Pradesh is not new. The BAP is raising this demand strongly," he said.
"After the mega rally, a delegation will meet the president and the prime minister with the proposal," the tribal MP said.
(With PTI inputs)
Published 26 July 2024, 11:58 IST