TM Exclusive: Tribal teacher suspended for ‘Mangalsutra-Sindoor’ comment said- How is it wrong to tell girls to focus on studies?
The teacher told The Mooknayak that the suspension is wrong, will challenge the order in Rajasthan High Court
Udaipur- Dungarpur’s second grade teacher Maneka Damor, who came under the target of the state’s BJP government due to her statement in support of ‘Bhil Pradesh’ at the Bhil Pradesh Cultural Maharally on July 18 at Mangarh Dham in Banswara district, was suspended on July 24.
Maneka was working in the Government Higher Secondary School located in Saddia in Simalwada Panchayat Samiti of Dungarpur, who has been suspended and posted in the headquarters office of Chief Block Education Officer – Dowada.
The government order mentions the recommendation of departmental inquiry and suspension against Damor under Rajasthan Conduct Rules and tarnishing the image of the Education Department.
The Mooknayak had a detailed conversation with teacher Maneka Damor and tried to understand the entire incident from her own words. The teacher clarified to The Mooknayak that “I did not stop any woman from wearing sindoor or mangalsutra, my intention was to explain to the gathering that tribals are not Hindus, earlier tribal women did not wear sindoor and mangalsutra, I also did not know this and so till I was not aware I also used to wear sindoor and mangalsutra but since 2016 when I have joined a tribal family, I came to know that this is not tribal culture, after that I stopped wearing sindoor and mangalsutra.”
Maneka told The Mooknayak that we never opposed the worship of gods and goddesses in schools but recently in a school, when children were asked to sing a group song from Bhil Pradesh, three teachers were suspended. Regarding that incident, I said in the gathering that have some shame – action was taken against me for this, but I do not feel at all that I said anything wrong or tarnished the image of the department.
What did Damor say in the Mangarh Maharally?
Many tribal organizations including representatives of Bharat Adivasi Party participated in the program organized on July 18, in which Maneka Damor, founder member of Adivasi Parivar, said that I neither wear Mangalsutra, nor apply Sindoor and I do not even observe any fast. One who himself eats jaggery cannot advise others not to eat jaggery. Damor had said that our schools have been made the home of gods and goddesses, there are so many festivals and celebrations. School is a temple of education, where children come only to study, there should be no celebrations there. While teaching women and girls to focus on education, Damor had repeated the words of Baba Saheb – Education is the milk of a lioness, whoever drinks it will roar.
After this, many organizations had demanded action against the teacher in this matter. They alleged that the image of the education department has been tarnished.
Sanskrit teacher but Ambedkarite thinking, against hypocrisy
Maneka Damor is a Sanskrit teacher, in a conversation with Mooknayak she says that earlier she followed Hindu customs, wore Mangalsutra, Sindoor, symbols of Suhaag and also observed fasts but after coming in contact with a tribal family in the last 5-7 years, there has been a change. “I came to know that the tribals are not Hindus. I read many books about this, gathered information from documents, then I came to know about the Judgment of Supreme Court dated 5th January 2011 in which the Court also accepted that the tribals are not Hindus. After that my life changed and I realized that by planting wrong things in the minds of the tribals, rituals etc. are being imposed on them. Education is the only medium by which the tribal community can awaken and demand their rights.” Maneka says that I did not stop any woman from wearing Sindoor or Mangalsutra. Video excerpts of the speech of that day are available in which I did not say anything wrong. I have said that I do not wear Mangalsutra or Sindoor – what is wrong in that? Motivating the tribal community, which lacks education, to acquire knowledge cannot be called wrong in any way. Damor told that her suspension order is wrong and she is filing a petition against it in the High Court. Full support of family, support of husband and sons
Maneka told that her family used to follow Hindu customs earlier but after joining the tribal family, they also do not believe in them. Maneka’s husband is a government teacher in Gujarat and the couple has two sons who are studying in ninth and seventh classes. Maneka says that I also teach my sons that they should stay away from religious hypocrisy and focus on studies and have a scientific attitude. She says that the whole family is in her support and her sons also believe that mummy has not done anything wrong.
The Mooknayak spoke to Maneka’s brother Sitaram Damor who is preparing her writ petition in Jodhpur. Sitaram told that the basis of Maneka’s suspension has been made service rules conduct but Maneka has not said any indecent or unconstitutional words. If there is any complaint, the department should have issued a show cause notice, an inquiry should be conducted and action should be taken after hearing the teacher’s side, but here the teacher was directly suspended without APO, which is unfair and a petition will be filed against this order in the High Court.
Geetha Sunil Pillai
Courtesy : Hindi News
