'I'm Christian, I can't hoist or salute the national flag': A Tamil Nadu government school HM.

A school in Dharmapuri district is caught in controversy after the headmistress refused to hoist the national flag and ‘salute’ it on the occasion of the Independence Day celebration. 

Tamilselvi, the headmistress, is set to retire this year, and the August 15th celebration was meant to be a send-off for her. However, many are claiming that her actions are disrespectful and have called for her to be removed from her position.

Tamilselvi explained why she abstained in a video that was later recorded, attributing it to the fact that she is a Yakoba Christian. She said, “We only salute God and no one else,” adding that she didn’t mean any harm or disrespect to the flag. We respect the flag, but we will only salute God. So, we asked the assistant headmistress to hoist the flag. “

According to the complaint made to the district CEO, Tamilselvi has been accused of displaying and engaging in bias against one religion, especially in a government institution.

Another incident came into view when a formal complaint was delivered to the chief education officer (CEO) of Dharmapuri, bringing to light the incident in which the top administrator of a government-run school refused to hoist the flag on Independence Day. The headmistress was mentioned in the complaint as having taken a leave of absence during the previous Independence Day celebrations out of concern. And that she did it over the years on the pretext of sick leave.