COIMBATORE 2011 -Imposing religion on students is punishable
Diversity and plurality are the basic characteristics of Indian democracy. All educational institutions in the country are bound to protect that spirit. Any imposition of a particular religion on school or college students must be viewed as a violation of the secular character of the Indian Constitution.The institutions are duty bound to impart education keeping in mind the country's multi-cultural, multi-linguistic, multi-ethnic and multi-religious identity. Religious values are not monolithic in nature. They are, in fact, a multifarious web of interlocking layers and strands. Indian culture is a composite culture.
It is sad that some educational institutions often fail to appreciate the goodness and beauty of other religions. These institutions pretend that they are unaware of the Supreme Court verdict in the famous Bijoy Immanuel case of 1986.
The case was in relation to the expulsion of a set of students from a school in Kerala for refusing to sing the national anthem. The students were from the religious group of Jehovah's Witnesses. They refused to sing the anthem saying they were not confined to any one nation as they were the children of God. The court vindicated their argument and ordered that no educational institution can impose any religious or patriotic strictures on students. The verdict is crystal clear in that there must not be any force on students to follow any religion. Compelling students to sing religious songs or subjecting them to religious speeches is punishable under the Indian law.
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