Bhilwara- A government school vice-principal was assaulted by a group of villagers and subsequently arrested by police in Lesva village on Friday. The incident occurred after parents alleged that the teacher, Ranveer Saini, had been making statements that hurt their religious sentiments.

The teacher's defence is that he was attempting to teach scientific and rational thinking, but his comments were misunderstood and twisted by the students and villagers. He claims they connected his general statement about meat to the culturally volatile issue of beef, and they interpreted his rational advice about superstition as a direct attack on their religion, which led to the violent incident.

The controversy began at the government middle school in Lesva, where Saini, who joined the post on April 9, is employed. According to complaints filed by villagers and statements from students, Saini had for several days been instructing children not to worship idols or maintain a choti (a sacred hair tuft).

Tension escalated when students relayed these comments to their families. On Friday, a group of parents confronted Saini at the school, leading to a heated argument that turned physical, resulting in the teacher being beaten.

Upon receiving information about the altercation, police from Bagor police station arrived at the scene. After recording statements from the students and villagers, they arrested Vice-Principal Ranveer Saini on charges of disturbing the peace (breach of peace) and allegedly hurting religious sentiments.

In their statements to the police, students claimed Saini told them, "There is no such thing as God. Why do you worship stone? Uproot and throw away the stone idols." One student also alleged that the teacher threatened to cut their sacred hair tufts and used physical punishment when they refused to comply.

In his defence, Saini stated that he teaches Science and Maths to the students and his rational comments were taken out of context. He explained that a discussion on human dietary habits, where he acknowledged that many people eat meat, was misinterpreted by students as a promotion of cow meat.

He also claimed that he noticed a child coming to school without wearing shoes. When he asked the child for the reason, the child explained that it was an offering to a deity. Saini said he tried to rationally explain to the child that "whatever entity takes away your shoes is not a deity." His intention, as he claims, was to discourage superstition and encourage logical reasoning. However, this enraged the villagers.

Following the incident, the Chief Block Education Officer, Satyanarayan Nagar, visited the school and initiated departmental proceedings. Pending a full investigation, Ranveer Saini has been placed under APO (Awaiting Posting Order), effectively suspending him from his duties at the Lesva school.

School Principal Shyamlal Sen stated he was unaware of the ongoing issue until the day of the incident. Police officials confirmed the arrest and stated that the situation is now under control, with further investigation ongoing.

Earlier too, teachers have faced opposition from villagers in other districts for similar stances. In January 2024, Hemlata Bairwa, a government school teacher, ignited a social media storm with her bold assertion that "Savitri Bhai Phule, and not Saraswati, is the Goddess of education."

This resolute stand thrust her into the spotlight after she courageously faced dissent from a group of men at Government School Lakdai in Nahargarh, Rajasthan, during a Republic Day celebration. The incident escalated into a verbal altercation, leading to an inquiry by the Education Department and local police. An FIR was registered against Hemlata who also was suspended. However, she was reinstated after she challenged the order in Rajasthan Adminstrative Tribunal and got a favourable decision.

In July 2024, Menka Damor, a secondary-grade teacher stationed at a government school in Sadiya, Dungarpur was suspended. The suspension followed her speech during the Bhil Pradesh Cultural Rally at Mangarh Dham, where she criticized the imposition of traditional Hindu practices on tribal communities. Damor’s remarks, which included statements about not wearing sindoor or mangalsutra and her views on the role of education in tribal communities, were reportedly deemed controversial by some. However, the Rajasthan High Court stayed the suspension in August 2024.