Police investigating, don't want to comment: Vandana on alleged casteist slurs hurled at family
Tokyo, Aug 6: Indian women's hockey team forward Vandana Katariya on Friday sought to steer clear of commenting on the allegedly casteist slurs hurled at her family after the side lost to Argentina in the Olympic semifinals, saying that the police is probing the incident.
Soon after the Indian team went down to Argentina in the semifinal on Wednesday, two men danced and burst firecrackers outside Katariya's house in the Roshnabad area of Haridwar in a gesture of mockery, an official at SIDCUL police station said.
When some members of Katariya's family came out hearing the noise, the two men also passed casteist remarks against them, saying the team had lost because it had too many Dalit players in it, the official said.
"I won't like to comment on this matter. I have heard a little bit about it. I have spoken to my family and they said all is well with them. The police is investigating this," Katariya said after the team's fourth-place finish in the Games here following a 3-4 loss to Great Britain in the bronze play-off.
Police arrested one person after a complaint was lodged by Katariya's brother owing to a heated argument between members of his family and the two men involved in the incident.
The arrested man, identified as Vijay Pal, has been booked under section 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Indian Penal Code and the SC-ST Act, the official said.
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Karnataka School Edu Dept prohibits children from being made to dance to obscene songs
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka School Education Department has issued a circular strictly prohibiting children from being made to dance to obscene songs in educational and cultural programmes.
It stated that such dances would negatively impact students' mental health and moral values. It will create indiscipline and harm the sanctity of education.
"All the Deputy Directors (Administration) of the state's School Education Department have been asked to take strict measures to prevent children or students from dancing to obscene songs in all government, aided and unaided schools in the state," the office of the commissioner of the School Education Department said in a recent circular.
"If it is found that children are being made to dance to obscene songs, appropriate action will be taken against the headmaster or management of such school," it added.
The department also listed certain measures in this regard, which include: strictly prohibiting children from being made to dance to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes; selecting songs that are inspiring, positive, instilling national pride in children and reflecting the greatness, dignity, values, culture, and morality of the state.
Stating that the school headmaster and management are responsible for selecting songs and dances for cultural programmes, it said, they should also ensure that students wear decent clothes in dance or cultural programmes.
