Raj Bhavan, Kerala Government Set for Another Face-off over Foot Worship at Schools
13 July 2025 | The Hindu
The Raj Bhavan and the Kerala government appeared to be set for yet another face-off over the ‘foot worship’ ceremony that was held in some schools in the State as part of Guru Purnima on Thursday. While Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar strongly defended the practice as part of Indian culture, General Education Minister V. Sivankutty, who directed the Director of Public Instruction (DPI) to seek explanations from the schools, said that Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is piggybacking on the Governor to push its regressive practices meant to promote a slave mentality among students.
Visuals of the ceremony, held in schools managed by the Bharatiya Vidya Niketan in Kasaragod, Kannur, and Alappuzha, showed students kneeling and washing the feet of teachers and offering flowers in a symbolic ritual of reverence. In a foot-washing ceremony held at Vivekananda Vidya Peedom in Mavelikara, the students were made to wash the feet of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader too. The visuals had drawn widespread condemnation in socio-political circles…