A teacher, from Bihar’s Khagaria district, was suspended after a video of him complaining about the school officials who decided to cancel Raksha Bandhan’s holiday went viral.
The teacher, who has been identified as Sunil Kumar, took out his frustration on the department officials after his sister had to travel from Bhagalpur to Khagaria (roughly 90 Km) to tie rakhi.
In a bid to make up for the loss of teaching days, department officials have decided to curtail the number of school holidays on important festivals in the remaining five months of the year.
The incident came to light after a Twitter page of Bihar Shikshak Manch shared a video of Mr Sushil. In the clip, he can be seen criticising the additional chief secretary of the Bihar Education Department KK Pathak as his sister ties a rakhi inside the school premises.
The video was shared on August 31, along with the note that read, “After the cancellation of the Raksha Bandhan holiday of the employed teachers in Bihar, a teacher’s sister reached Mathurapur school in Khagaria from Bhagalpur crying and tied a rakhi to her brother, while the teacher was seen taking out his frustration.”
बिहार में नियोजित शिक्षकों का रक्षाबंधन की छुट्टी रद्द होने के बाद एक शिक्षक की बहन रोती हुई भागलपुर से खगड़िया के मथुरापुर विद्यालय पहुँची अपने भाई को बाँधी राखी,शिक्षक भाई ने निकाली भरास . pic.twitter.com/ZU5QnJlsIl
— बिहार शिक्षक मंच (@btetctet) August 31, 2023
An official order, dated September 1, stated that Mr Kumar has been suspended from his duties. In addition, for making indecent and objectionable statements towards the higher officials, the teacher also faces departmental action. The notice also mentioned that his salary payments would be blocked with immediate effect.
Raksha Bandhan was celebrated on August 30 and 31.