Video of teacher refusing to say 'Vande Mataram' goes viral; probe underway

A video clip of a teacher of a government school in Katihar district refusing to recite national song Vande Mataram after flag hoisting ceremony on the Republic Day has gone viral on social media, prompting the education department to order a probe, official sources said Friday. The man, who refused to recite Vande Mataram, has been identified as Afzal Hussain, a teacher at government primary school at Abdullapur village under Manihari block of the district.

Vande Mataram, the national song, was written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in the 1870s. District Education Officer (DEO) Dinesh Chandra Dev took note of the matter after video of the episode hogged the limelight in the social media and directed Manihari Block Education Officer (BEO) to probe the matter.

BEO Ashok Kumar, who went to the school to probe the incident, said that the incident prima facie seems to be true and the said teacher continues to justify his actions. Some parents and teachers of the school have demanded disciplinary action against Hussain.

DEO said Friday that he would take necessary action as per the rules once he gets the probe report. Afzal Hussain, the teacher, however, said that reciting Vande Mataram is against his religious belief. "We believe in Allah only and can not bow my head to anyone as it is against our religious belief. It is nowhere mentioned in the Constitution that one has to recite Vande Mataram," Hussain said adding that I still hold the same view of not reciting Vande Mataram nor would ask children to do so.

The villagers seemed angry with teachers view on the national song. The person does not have any right to stay in the country if he/she refuses to say Vande Mataram, a villager Deo Narayan Ojha said. The teacher has shown disrespect to the national song by not reciting it and hence such teacher needs to be given strict punishment, Suchit Narayan Ojha, another villager, said.

(With inputs from agencies.)