Karkala, Miyyar: A major controversy erupted at the Morarji Desai Residential School in Miyyar after an Islamist teacher allegedly forced Hindu students to remove their Janeu (Yajnopaveetham) and sacred wrist threads, sparking widespread outrage among parents and locals. The teacher, identified as Madarsa S. Makandar from Kalaburagi, was immediately dismissed on Sunday following strong protests.
As per Daijiworld reports, Makandar, who joined the school as a guest physical education instructor in June 2025, reportedly targeted Hindu boys by compelling them to take off the sacred symbols they wear as part of their religious duty. Parents revealed that he also imposed severe punishments, such as 200 sit-ups, and had been warned multiple times in the past for similar behavior but continued undeterred.
Angry parents gathered at the school demanding action, stating that the teacher’s conduct was not just disciplinary abuse but a direct attempt to interfere with Hindu religious practices. Acting on the complaints, the school principal terminated Makandar’s services with immediate effect.
Local residents condemned the incident, questioning how an Islamist instructor could dare to undermine the faith of Hindu students in an institution meant to be a place of safety, learning, and neutrality. They stressed that a school is not a pulpit for religious interference, and no teacher has the right to insult or violate the beliefs of children.
“One cannot trivialize a sacred symbol like the Janeu. Forcing students to remove it is deeply offensive and completely unacceptable,” locals said. They added that Makandar’s excuse, claiming he “didn’t know what a Janeu was,” only reflected his disregard for the cultural and religious identity of the students he was supposed to guide.
Villagers emphasized that Miyyar has always been known for its peaceful coexistence among communities, and such behavior by an individual with a clear ideological bias threatens that harmony. “Schools must remain free from religious hostility. Such acts create division, mistrust, and fear. This should never happen again,” they said.
Earlier this year, during the CET examination, a Brahmin student’s sacred Janeu was forcibly cut in the name of security. Now a similar incident has been reported again. Why is it always Hindus? Under the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government, it feels as though practicing Hindu dharma has become a crime, while other communities face no such scrutiny. Students wearing burqas or skullcaps are never questioned, but if a Hindu follows their tradition, suddenly secularism is invoked. What kind of biased governance is this? Karnataka’s Hindus need to recognize the consequences of the choices made at the ballot box; freebies cannot justify a government that repeatedly targets Hindu identity and religious practices.
