Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady (SP)
Beltangady, Sep 4: Several parents protested against Mariyambika higher primary school in Bedrabettu within Indabettu village in the taluk here on Wednesday September 3, alleging that the T-shirts and identity cards issued by the school bore imprints resembling a religious symbol, reportedly of Mother Mary.
After hundreds of angry parents congregated near the school premises on Wednesday, the situation threatened to go out of control.
It is said that parents of several students had complained to the school administration about the presence of this imprint on Tuesday itself. Police personnel from the local station rushed to the school and held talks with the representatives of parents and school management. After the talks, the school management agreed to withdraw these materials for the time being. It also announced that a final decision will be taken after holding discussions at a meeting of parents scheduled to be held shortly.
Fr Jose Valiaparambil, vicar general of Beltangady diocese, concurred that the emblem of the school had been embedded on these items and that the clothes and identity cards bearing this mark had been temporarily withdrawn after some objections surfaced about them. He said that a suitable decision would be taken after holding meetings of the school managing committee and the parents of students shortly.
Beltangady police sub-inspector, Prakash Devadiga, and other personnel took care to see that the situation is kept under control. A reserve police contingent had also been summoned from Mangalore and stationed near the school as a precautionary measure.