Mira Road school gets notice over Paryushan diet message to students

A message on diet sent by Seven Eleven School in Mira Road during the Jain festival of Paryushan has turned into an administrative dispute. The school's official portal had told children not to eat root vegetables such as onion, garlic, radish and beetroot during Paryushan. The education department received a complaint over the message.

The complaint said such a message amounted to imposing a particular religious practice on children's food choices. The complainants said the school has students from different religions, castes and social backgrounds, so sending such a message called for scrutiny on both educational and legal grounds.

Siddhesh Patil of Marathi Ekikaran Lokchalwal and Robert D'Souza of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena sent separate complaints to the education department. Following this, the education department of the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation also wrote to the concerned officials seeking action.

Taking the complaint seriously, Thane Zilla Parishad education officer Devidas Mahajan has issued a show-cause notice to Seven Eleven School. The education department of the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation has also been asked to investigate the matter.

The notice cites the diverse social and religious backgrounds of the school's students. The education department said that when children of different religions and castes study in the same school, sending a message asking them to follow one particular religious dietary practice is a serious matter. The school has been asked what restriction was placed on children's personal food choices, what its purpose was, and in what circumstances the message was sent.

The notice cites Sections 13 and 17 of the RTE Act 2009 along with the school code. It also refers to Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution, relating to equality, freedom, and the right to life and personal liberty. The notice states that the school must not impose any discrimination or unnecessary restriction while dealing with children's personal matters.

The education department has ordered the school to submit a written reply within two days of receiving the notice. If the school does not respond in time, or if the response is found unsatisfactory, further administrative action may follow under the provisions of the Secondary School Code, the RTE Act 2009 and the Self-Financed Schools Act 2012.

Attention now turns to the school's response, on what purpose the message was sent, whether it was binding on students, and what stance the school took between the religious customs of Paryushan and children's personal food choices. The education department will examine the school's written reply before deciding on further action.